


The Ninth Floor

by sleepyshiba



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Gen, I'll write my own, Spy agency AU, arc 1 is ch 1-16, arc 2 is ch 17-32, arc 3 is ch 33-48, blackpink in arc 2, blackvelvettwice, dreamcatcher in arc 3, loona in arc 3, mamamoo cameo scattered throughout the arcs, other girl groups make an appearance later, red velvet in arc 3, so fk it, the whole reason i'm writing this is bc there aren't any fics for my rare pairs, twicepinkvelvet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:47:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 48
Words: 21,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24953278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyshiba/pseuds/sleepyshiba
Summary: the moments in between the missions and the debriefs of the Ninth Floor of the Agency/or a spy agency au.twice-centric but will also feature other girl groups later on
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kim Dahyun, Chou Tzuyu/Jennie Kim, Hirai Momo/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa, Kang Seulgi/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 36
Kudos: 65





	1. [REDACTED: SHARK BAIT]

**Author's Note:**

> hey! so this work is a writing challenge for myself. chapters will be drabble-length, and the longest will be only a couple thousand or so words. also trying new writing formats that suit the story's scenarios; for example, letters as mission reports and the like. 
> 
> prompts and events influenced by a lot of video games i'm replaying at the moment. 
> 
> hope you enjoy!

It was a hot day at the aquarium, which meant that there was a decent crowd taking shelter inside. 

It worked out for her, really. 

Momo tugged her souvenir baseball cap lower, further obscuring her face. Her tacky tourist shirt and bland shorts helped her blend with the visiting crowd. She moved through the throngs of people effortlessly. 

Like a fish in a swarm, Momo humorously thought. 

A swarm of fish swam above her in the tunnel tank, as if mirroring her thoughts. She took a left, turning into a different exhibit of the aquarium. 

  
  


_ “Mark approaching Shark Exhibit.” _ Her earpiece alerted her of her target’s location. 

“Copy.” Momo muttered under her breath as she began making her way to the location. 

A few more turns and up a flight of stairs took her to said shark exhibit. 

Her eyes swept through the crowd, until they landed on a particular man in a business suit. 

“Real conspicuous.” Momo mumbled. The suit made him stick out like a sore thumb among the tourists. 

“Approaching target.” She reported quietly as she strolled over, playing the role of a visiting tourist. 

  
  


Momo shadowed her target, the man leading them to the upper level catwalk. There was barely anyone up there; his mistake. 

The shark tank laid below them and Momo had an epiphany. 

Momo hid behind the cover of a doorway, aimed her silenced pistol at one of the wires holding the catwalk up, and fired. 

Her gun let out a small hiss which was muffled by the sudden drop of metal. The target screamed as he fell into the shark tank below. 

Momo hid her pistol and made her way towards the exit. The water was already turning red by the time she left the exhibit. 

“Target eliminated. Heading towards extraction.” 

_ “Copy that. Extraction Team ready and waiting by Point A.” _

Momo left as she arrived, blending into the crowd until she was indiscernible. 

And then she was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	2. [REDACTED: SHARK BAIT] DEBRIEF

The Agency was located within a compound. The main building was 12 floors high and large enough to have both left and right wing expansions. It looked like any other inconspicuous facility, really. Garages and hangers were scattered on the edge of the compound. 

Momo was still in her mission disguise when she returned to the Agency. The fellow agents she passed by smiled and giggled at her tacky tourist outfit. She didn’t mind; it was in good fun anyways. 

She went up a few floors until she reached her department — the Ninth Floor. 

The main lobby of the Ninth Floor wasn’t too crowded today. The office space and lounge sofas weren’t occupied by many agents at the moment. 

It was only midday, which meant that most of the day’s missions were still ongoing. 

  
  
  


Jihyo was seated at the main desk in the lobby. It was situated in the middle of the floor and every Agent received and returned their mission reports there. 

Park Jihyo was a highly skilled lead Agent and also doubled as the main handler for the entirety of the Ninth Floor’s roster of active agents. 

  
  


Momo spotted a mop of blonde hair, pulled into a lazy ponytail; Jeongyeon. The Agent leaned against the desk as she chatted with Jihyo. 

Momo approached them and slid her mission folder onto Jihyo’s desk as two pairs of eyes trained on her. 

Jeongyeon burst into laughter as soon as she saw Momo’s outfit. 

“ _ What _ are you wearing?!” Jeongyeon’s laughter was hearty, echoing across the agency floor. Mirth filled the curious onlookers as they also took in Momo’s appearance. 

Momo simply shrugged her shoulders with an air of nonchalance. She replied with an amused tone, “My disguise.” 

Jihyo looked on with a light smile. The situation was surely entertaining. 

“I take it the mission went well?” Jihyo was already skimming the report and inputting the details into the Agency’s database. 

“You can say that.” Momo placed a small plush doll of an aquarium mascot on Jihyo’s desk. 

That earned her a wide grin from Jihyo. 

  
  


It was a running joke between the Ninth Floor’s agents. They would bring a small souvenir from their mission location each time they returned for debriefing. 

Jihyo was bewildered the first couple times it happened but soon came to appreciate it with thinly veiled amusement. She appreciated the sentiment, especially since she wasn’t really assigned active field operations all that often now. 

  
  


“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to change out of these clothes now.” 

“Say Jihyo,” Momo already knew what the sly grin on Jeongyeon’s face meant. “Do you smell something…  _ fishy? _ ” 

Momo groaned and rolled her eyes while Jihyo chuckled at the agents. 

“Keep that up and I’ll throw  _ you _ in the shark tank next.” Momo walked away with an exasperated grin, heading towards the changing room as she left Jeongyeon’s cackling laughter behind her. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	3. [REDACTED: SNOWFLAKE]

Swirling snowflakes floated down generously, where they then covered the festival grounds with a layer of white. 

Sana bore a content smile as she watched the white crystals swirl in the air. 

Her latest assignment took her back to her homeland of Japan, just in time for a local Snowflake Festival. 

  
  


Sana strolled alongside the festival crowd, blending in with her white and blue yukata. She spent her time cooing at the festival’s attractions and snow sculptures, buying souvenirs and tasting the dishes at the local vendor stalls. 

She had neared the edge of the festival grounds when her earpiece came to life. 

_ “Target sighted. Heading east to the courtyard.” _

“Copy that~” Sana said in a sing-song manner. 

  
  


It was easy to play the role of casual festival-goer taking a stroll through the gardens. Nobody paid her any attention as she stalked towards her mark’s location. 

A tall, distinguished man in a black and white yukata stood by himself in the empty courtyard. Smoke furled above his head as he lit a cigarette. 

Sana made her way over slowly. Her eyes darted left and right, looking for a weapon to subdue him. 

She didn’t bring any weapons along; the festival was too local, too small. The people would surely be alerted if a gun went off. 

But it was fine. Sana was rather good at improvising on the spot. 

She spotted something shiny in the corner of her eye then. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips and her pace quickened. 

  
  


Sana’s arm reached out and yanked, breaking a sharp icicle off of a frosted tree. She snuck up behind the man and stabbed through the side of his neck with her makeshift knife. 

The target tried to yell but only wet gurgling came out. He struggled but Sana was trained to be quicker and stronger. She grabbed his shoulders with a paralyzing grip and shoved him face down in a tall snowbank. 

Sana sighed in relief; the blood would be covered by the snow bank and the descending sleet would cover her tracks. Easy clean up. 

The target writhes under her hold, weakly struggling as the life was snuffed out of him. 

Sana only had to wait a little over a minute until the body slowly went still. She cleaned her hands of it and covered the body with more piles of snow. It looked like a regular part of the landscape now. 

  
  
  


“Target eliminated.” 

_ “Excellent work. Extraction Team en route.” _

Sana walked away, back to the warm crowd of the festival with a spring in her step. She was going to enjoy her time at the festival until her extraction arrived. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	4. [REDACTED: SNOWFLAKE] DEBRIEF

“Jihyo~” 

A sing-song call of her name made Jihyo look up from her report. 

“I’m back~” Sana approached the Handler’s desk with a skip and a bright smile. 

“Sana — you’re back early. Wasn’t your flight due for tomorrow?” Jihyo eyed her outfit. The yukata looked nice on her, and the snowflake brooch clipped to her hair was fitting. “You look pretty.” 

“Thank you.” Sana batted her eyelashes in a demure manner. Jihyo simply chuckled at the Agent’s playful seductive reply. 

  
  


Sana placed her report on Jihyo’s desk. 

“How was the festival?” Jihyo flipped through the folder as she asked. 

“It was beautiful! You should go next time.” 

Jihyo nodded as she skimmed over the report’s details, “Sure, when I get the chance.” 

Sana rummaged through the inside of her yukata, near the thick obi that was her belt. “Here! For you.” 

Jihyo’s attention was grabbed by the square item placed on her desk. It was a delicate snowflake, embossed and encased in a decorative flat glass square. 

“Thank you, Sana. It’s very pretty.” Jihyo murmured as she traced the unique snowflake pattern. 

Sana giggled and smiled like she won a big victory. Then she turned and waved, “See you later Jihyo-chan! I have a training session to get to. Don’t work so hard now!” 

Jihyo shook her head in an exasperated but fond manner. She watched Sana’s back as she retreated. 

  
  
  


After a minute, Jihyo looked down at her black suit and then looked back up at the main floor of the Ninth Floor. 

She mumbled under her breath, amusement and confusion laced in her tone, “Why don’t my agents ever return in their normal suits they leave in?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	5. [REDACTED: SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED]

Jazz music swayed the ambience of the night. 

There weren't many people around at the hotel’s bar at the moment, but just enough that Chaeyoung had to work for her disguise to blend in. 

The black and white bartender clothes suited her. Especially as she added some flair to the bartending tricks she did as she served the hotel customers. 

Chaeyoung served her ninth customer of the night and received a generous tip when her earpiece came to life. 

_ “Target is in the elevator, approaching the hotel bar. Agent Son; you are to eliminate the target. Another agent will retrieve the documents in his hotel room in the meantime. The two of you are to exit the premises once your respective objectives are completed.”  _

Chaeyoung hummed her reply, she could already see her mark approaching. 

  
  


“Bartender! A martini, please.” Her target settled at the bar stool, rattling off his order and paying his attention to the mounted tv above the bar. 

“Of course, sir.” Chaeyoung answered with all the grace of a 5-star hotel staff. 

The bartending lessons in Morocco paid off and it was like second nature to her now. She finished fixing the man his drink, subtly slipping a lethal dose of poison before she placed it in front of him. 

  
  


The clock above the bar counter struck the next hour, signaling that her shift was over. 

“I’m gone!” Chaeyoung greeted the hotel staff that would be replacing her. “Have a good shift!” 

Chaeyoung took a different turn and went into the private men’s bathroom instead. She hid within the supply closet and laid in waiting. 

A few moments passed. 

“Any time now.” Chaeyoung checked her small wrist watch. 

  
  


As if on cue, the bathroom door slammed open. In stumbled her mark, one hand clutching his stomach and the other clutching his mouth. 

He fell to his knees in front of the toilet. 

Chaeyoung silently exited the closet. She closed the bathroom door and locked it. 

The target was a little preoccupied, too busy gagging in front of the toilet to notice her. The poison was already taking effect. 

She slinked behind the man before abruptly slamming his head against the cold porcelain of the toilet. The bathroom fell silent once more. 

  
  


“Target eliminated. The poison will leave him dead in 5 minutes.” Chaeyoung huffed as she dragged her mark over to the supply closet. 

“Send a clean-up crew when you can, HQ. I’m leaving him in the supply closet in the bathroom nearest to the hotel bar.” Chaeyoung shoved the supply closet close once she stuffed the man inside. 

_ “Copy that, Agent Son. The other agent has retrieved the documents. Go for extraction.” _

  
  
  


“Copy.” Chaeyoung exited the bathroom and took the elevator down to the lower level garages. 

She took the motorcycle parked at the farthest wall, a getaway vehicle courtesy of the Agency. 

There was a rev of an engine before the motorcycle took off into the night. 

  
  



	6. [REDACTED: SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED] DEBRIEF

It was well into the night when Chaeyoung returned to the Agency. 

She parked the motorcycle in the space marked for the Extraction Team. That department would take care of the extraction vehicles. 

Chaeyoung hummed a jingle as she took the elevator to the Ninth Floor. 

  
  
  


There were more agents around this time. Chaeyoung greeted a few familiar faces as she passed the lounges. 

Jihyo was reclining at her desk, typing away at her computer. 

“Hey.” Chaeyoung leaned against her desk, sliding her report across the sleek surface. 

“Oh, Chaeng! You’re back — how did it go?” 

“Great! I haven’t bartended since that stint in Italy.” The two shared a laugh at the reminder. 

“Oh, don’t remind me! The higher-ups have basically placed that mission in the hall of fame. Nobody will forget that mission anytime soon.” 

  
  


As Jihyo put the agent’s report away, Chaeyoung placed a cup of coffee and a postcard on her desk. 

“What’s this?” Jihyo blinked at the items. 

“Figured you’d still be here late. Thought you could use a pick-me-up.” 

An appreciative hum slipped from Jihyo as she took the first sip. 

“The hotel you sent me to has a three star Michelin restaurant and a  _ really  _ nice spa. You should check it out sometime.” 

“I will.” Jihyo shot a grin her way. “Get some rest Chaeng.” 

Chaeyoung smirked, “You know what they say — no rest for the wicked.” 

The agent threw her handler a two-fingered salute before leaving. 


	7. [REDACTED: ARCADES AND ALLEYWAYS]

Red bloomed across Dahyun’s knuckles as she threw a sharp right-hook at a man. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. 

She spun around and kicked at another guy’s knees, breaking his kneecaps before finishing him off with a backhanded fist. 

Dahyun stood there in the empty alley, breathing heavy with her fists raised as the fight ended. 

Blood dripped from the cut on her lip, which she rubbed away with the back of her hand. 

With the guys down for the count, she started running again. 

  
  


Dahyun sprinted down the street, weaving through alleys and shops until she ducked into a building that was two blocks from where she was previously. 

Flashing lights made her look up. She had ducked into an arcade. 

With an amused chuckle, she made her way further into the store. She hid between the neon lights and the large gaming machines. 

The thugs chasing after her wouldn’t look for her in here. 

  
  


The cut on her lip stung, and so did her knuckles and the ribs on her right side. 

The mission started out smooth, then shit hit the fan when some guards caught her snooping inside the security room. 

Dahyun looked down at herself; her suit was in tatters, cuts and blood stains adorned the fabric. 

She needed to change, get out of these incriminating clothes. 

_ Think! _ The agent’s brain was working overtime.  _ Oh! That’s right. _

There was a safehouse not too far from her current location. She could change her clothes and drop off the data drives there. Lay low for a little bit and then hightail it back to the Agency. Yeah, that could work. 

  
  
  


In the meantime, Dahyun tried to get as much blood off of her in the arcade bathroom. There were still blooming spots of red but at least it was better than when she first walked in. 

Dahyun recollected herself before darting into the night once again.    
  



	8. [REDACTED: ARCADES AND ALLEYWAYS] DEBRIEF

The Ninth Floor’s elevator doors slid open with a ding. 

Out came Dahyun, dressed very casually in a white tracksuit. 

Jihyo looked at her with surprise when the agent came up to her desk. 

“Dahyun? Are you off today?” Jihyo’s head tilted when she took in the agent’s clothes. She could have sworn she sent the agent off on a mission. 

“Ah, no.” Dahyun rubbed the back of her head in a sheepish manner. “I ran into some trouble after I retrieved the data drives. I crashed at a safehouse to get rid of my bloody suit.” 

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Jihyo eyed the amateur bandages that wrapped the agent’s knuckles. “But I’m going to need you to rewrite this report.” 

Clear mirth showed in Jihyo’s eyes as she held up Dahyun’s report. “I can’t read the last portion; it’s covered in blood.” 

“Ah, sorry!” Dahyun’s cheeks flushed pink. 

Jihyo giggled at the agent’s flustered state. “It’s fine. Do it after you’ve taken care of yourself.” 

“Aye, ma’am!” Dahyun saluted her with a cheeky grin, tossed something onto her desk, and then ran away towards the Agency’s Infirmary. 

Jihyo had to blink at the speed that it all happened with. She looked at the object Dahyun threw on her desk and then promptly burst into laughter. 

It was a small plush keychain of a jigglypuff. The tag marked its origin from the downtown arcade. 


	9. [REDACTED: RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT]

Red. Red. Green! 

A midnight black car zoomed down the streets of downtown. The street lights reflected off the dark tinted windows as the driver skillfully weaved in and out of traffic. A smattering of horns honked where the car drifted too close, but never made contact. 

_ “Extraction team  _ —  _ what is your ETA?” _

“I’ll be there in five.” Nayeon stepped on the gas pedal and the car lurched to a new speed. 

The car rocketed down a few blocks before Nayeon pulled the e-brake and hanged a tight turn through the wide back alley of a block. 

“Make that two minutes.” Nayeon said with a smirk. 

_ “Agent will be at Point B. Make your way there.” _

Nayeon eyed the new destination that appeared on the car’s center console. 

  
  
  


Two minutes elapsed and Nayeon skidded the car to a halt, stopping in front of a cluster of warehouses. 

A figure stumbled out of a building, throwing open the door with a bang. 

Two suited goons chased after them, yelling with their firearms in hand. 

Nayeon rolled her window down and shot the two assailants down with pinpoint accuracy. 

“Get in!” 

The agent fumbled into the backseat and as soon as the car door closed, Nayeon gunned it. 

The agent was thrown back as she hightailed out of the warehouse district. 

  
  


Nayeon threw a medic kit at the agent, before she went back to concentrating on their escape. 

“You remember the Agency’s medical training, right? Get to it.” 

The agent mumbled their thanks and began removing their blood soaked suit. 

“Oh, don’t thank me yet. We still have to lose our tail.” 

The streetlights cast ambient lighting above the car, highlighting the shark grin that appeared on Nayeon’s face. She kept an iron foot on the accelerator, and the engine revved like a roaring beast in the night. 


	10. [REDACTED: RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT] DEBRIEF

The elevator to the Ninth Floor opened with a ding. 

Nayeon walked out whistling a jovial tune as she strutted over to the Handler’s desk. 

Jihyo lifted her head as Nayeon approached. 

  
  


“Hey, how did it go.” 

“The agent’s going to be fine. Medic’s already there.” Nayeon handed over her report. “But that car’s backseat isn’t.” 

Jihyo stared at her, exasperated but also waiting for her to continue. 

Nayeon snickered at the look, “They got blood all over the backseat.” 

Jihyo released a long sigh as she began to dial a number. 

“At this point, you should just add the dry-cleaning services to the Extraction Division. God knows how many bloody car seats they’ve had to clean and replace.” 

“Anyways, can you let them know I had to refill the gas tank too.” Nayeon threw her a faux-annoyed glance. “Be a dear and forward them the bill for me.” 

Nayeon placed something on her desk before strutting away. 

  
  


Jihyo looked down just as the line picked up. A receipt from a gas station stared back at her, along with a souvenir sticker of a red gas pump with the words ‘ _ Thank you for your patronage. Please pump again!’ _ printed along the top. 

“Hey, got another car with bloodstains.” She huffed out a laugh from the response on the other side, “Yeah, I know — that’s the fifth one this week. Also, I’m forwarding you Nayeon’s gas bill.” 

  
  



	11. [REDACTED: PALACE SHADOWS]

Deep breaths. 

In, out. 

In, out. 

Mina settled herself with another deep breath. 

  
  


She opened her eyes, and the rafters of the palace came into view. She steadied her hand along a wooden beam, repositioned her perch, and peered down. 

Six men. Six assassins. 

Mina tracked each of their locations with the eyes of a hawk. A predator hunting prey. 

Two waiting in the shadows. One by the balcony. Two patrolling the security office. And the last one was searching through a room upstairs. 

Mina pulled her black mask up to her nose, leaving only her hair and eyes visible. Her black bodysuit gave nothing away, except for the toned muscles of her body. 

  
  


Mina dropped down from the rafters, landing on her feet silently like a nimble cat. 

Her footsteps were quick and quiet as she rounded the rooms. She snuck up behind the two assassins, subduing them quickly with a deft chokehold. She let their bodies drop softly. 

With no time wasted, Mina continued through to the next room. The balcony was to her right. She sneaked up behind the third assassin and quickly twisted his neck. The snapping sound echoed quietly, followed by a muted thud of a body dropping. 

The security office was tricky. Mina had to wait until one rounded the corner before she struck the other assassin. Then she crouched by the other corner, waiting until the other assassin completed their patrol. When they came around the bend of the hallway, Mina lashed out. They went down with a groan of pain, then silence. 

Mina retreated to the shadows quickly. She slinked through the palace floor until she reached the room where her last target was in. 

The door was slightly ajar and light spilled out into the dark hallway. Mina entered the room, taking care not to make a single noise. 

The last assassin was rummaging through the contents of the room’s study. Their back was turned to the door. Mina closed the distance between them and pounced with the deadly force of a nocturnal predator. The assassin went down quickly, no match against Mina’s strength and her surprise attack. 

  
  
  


“All targets down. Requesting a clean up crew.” 

_ “Well done, Agent. Clean up crew is heading to your location. Extraction is a go.” _

Mina exited the room through the window. She nimbly scaled down the side of the building with the grace of a cat. Once she got down, she left the palace grounds with no trace of her ever being there. 


	12. [REDACTED: PALACE SHADOWS] DEBRIEF

Jihyo looked up as the elevator opened but saw no one there. 

She looked back down to the files on her desk, only raising her head a moment later when a shadow obscured her light. 

Mina stood there, quiet with a smile gracing her lips. She still had her black bodysuit on. 

“Mina! There you are.” Jihyo flashed her a smile. “How was your mission?” 

There was a twinkle in Mina’s eyes as she placed her report on the desk. “It was fun. I haven’t scaled a building since that mission in Paris.” 

“Of course.” Jihyo chuckled. “Well, good work on that mission. The Prime Minister sends his thanks.” 

Mina let out a small hum, acknowledging her with a nod. “I’ll be in my quarters.” The agent turned and left, her silent footsteps leading her to another wing of the Ninth Floor. 

  
  
  


It wasn’t until an hour later that Jihyo noticed what Mina left for her. An ornately decorative pen, gold and bejeweled. Jihyo recognized the coat of arms on the pen — it was the same one that belonged to the palace where Mina’s mission sent her. 

Jihyo’s mouth was left agap. “How does she  _ do _ that???” 


	13. [REDACTED: ROOFTOP RENDEZVOUS]

The winds yawned and a breeze drifted by, making Tzuyu’s tie flutter. 

Tzuyu shifted her prone body, adjusting the sniper rifle in her arms before looking back into the scope. 

“Rooftop secured. Awaiting orders.” Tzuyu said into her earpiece. 

_ “Secondary position secured. Awaiting orders.” _ There was a brief flash across the street from her. It was Tzuyu’s spotter. 

  
  


She set her sights onto the cafe across the street. The outdoor table to the far right was her priority. 

There was a woman already sitting at the table, occupied with a cup of coffee and a plate of mini sandwiches. She was an informant. 

Her latest assignment was an intel exchange and Tzuyu was sent as a lookout — backup in case things went south. 

  
  


_ “Agent approaching informant. Everybody, standby.” _

Tzuyu watched as one of their own approached the cafe. The agent blended in with the crowd until they reached the table. 

They took a seat and introductions were made. Tzuyu could hear their conversation through their shared communication channel. 

She kept her scope trained on the cafe table. 

The two at the table remained calm, their bodies a deceptive mask for the hushed whispers exchanged. 

There was a series of codes; locations, targets, secrets encrypted within numbers and letters and coordinates. 

  
  
  


It felt like an eternity before the meeting finished up. 

The informant left first. The agent followed the departure after an appropriately discrete amount of time passed. 

Tzuyu lifted her eye from her sniper scope only when a voice filtered through her earpiece. 

_ “Good work agents. The exchange was successful. Rendezvous at Extraction Point Delta.” _

Tzuyu got up from her prone position, slowly stretching her stiff back. She began disassembling her sniper rifle and then packed it away into her briefcase. 

She flashed a signal at her spotter before descending the rooftop stairs. 

The wind slipped by again, fluttering her hair and her suit tie. 

  
  



	14. [REDACTED: ROOFTOP RENDEZVOUS] DEBRIEF

Tzuyu’s long strides allowed her to cross the lobby of the Ninth Floor quickly. 

She approached the Handler’s desk, setting down her briefcase before talking to Jihyo. 

“Everything alright, Tzuyu?” Jihyo asked as she handed her report over. 

Tzuyu let a silent sigh slip. “The meeting felt like it took  _ forever _ to pass. I was sure my scope would leave a ring mark around my eye.” 

Jihyo giggled at the comment. “I take it everything went well?” 

“Yes, everything went smoothly.” Tzuyu picked up her briefcase and placed something onto Jihyo’s desk. “I assume we’ll be busy for the upcoming weeks. The intel we received was… let’s leave it at  _ complicated _ .” 

  
  


There was a brief pause in their conversation as Jihyo acknowledged the information with a solemn nod. There was a storm brewing. 

  
  


“Don’t work too hard now.” Tzuyu turned to leave with a smirk, her suit tie fluttering a goodbye. “After all, only you can tame the most chaotic of this floor’s agents. And you  _ know _ how ridiculous Nayeon can be.” 

Jihyo chuckled before picking up what Tzuyu left for her; a cafe sandwich set. 

  
  



	15. [REDACTED: FISH MARKET FIGHT]

“GOD DAMN IT!” Jeongyeon snarled as she ducked a heavy fist coming her way. 

She scuttled to the side of the thug’s heavy frame and whacked him in the face with a thick, fresh tuna. 

Yeah, that’s right. A fresh and fat tuna fish just caught this morning. 

  
  


The mission at the Fish Market went sideways, in Jeongyeon’s opinion. 

Which meant it descended to  _ utter chaos _ . 

It was suppose to be a  _ simple _ grab and go mission, Jeongyeon reiterated in her head. 

The only problem was the ambush that followed as soon as she grabbed the marked duffel bag. 

Then these masked thugs came out of nowhere! 

  
  


Jeongyeon rammed a thug with her shoulder, finishing him off with a high kick to his face. 

She whirled around and slapped another thug, this time with a red sea bream. 

A pair of hands grabbed her and Jeongyeon squirmed, but she couldn’t get out of the hold. 

The hands belonged to a mountain of a man. The heavy enforcer lifted her up and charged straight into a fish tank. 

Jeongyeon yelped when they made contact, groaning at her back being slammed onto the hard surface. 

Spiderweb cracks ran along the surface of the tank, but neither paid attention. 

Jeongyeon whacked the enforcer with a salmon she grabbed along the way, spraying bits of fish viscera and salt water across his face. 

The enforcer sputtered, probably from both pain and embarrassment, and slammed the agent against the glass in retaliation. 

  
  


This time, both of them heard the cracking of glass clearly. 

Jeongyeon turned her wide eyes at him, “You fuc—” 

She was cut off as the glass tank exploded, a flood of salt water and more fish took them down to the ground. 

Jeongyeon spit out a mouthful of water as they laid there in the puddle of high quality and freshly caught fish. She recovered quickly, scrambling on top of the thug and began throwing her fists down with enraged grunts. 

The large man threw her off and began to crawl to his feet. 

But Jeongyeon was quicker. She kicked the back of his legs, downing him again. She straddled the man’s back and wrapped his neck with a still live and squirming eel. 

The man struggled and bucked, but Jeongyeon held tight until the body beneath her went limp. 

  
  


After making sure all of the ambushers were taken down, Jeongyeon grabbed the duffel bag and made her exit swiftly. 

The thugs with their faces in the water and the flapping of fish against tile was all that was left behind. 

  
  



	16. [REDACTED: FISH MARKET FIGHT] DEBRIEF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that’s it folks! arc 1 is complete :)   
> more to come soon!

The wet squelch of boots against the floor echoed in the air. 

Jihyo watched — with amusement heavily laced in her eyes — as Jeongyeon stalked angrily towards her desk. 

Her clothes were wet and dripping onto the floor. The agent threw the duffle bag and a plastic platter onto the table beside Jihyo’s desk. They landed with a wet thump. 

_ “Don’t ask.” _ Jeongyeon all but growled before marching towards the locker room. Everybody got out of her way, parting like the sea. The locker room doors opened with a bang. 

Jihyo let out a laugh as she opened up the duffle bag. Inside was Jeongyeon’s report, dry and written with a neat and angry handwriting. 

Beside the duffle bag was a platter of thinly sliced tuna. Jihyo eyed the redness of the fish, noting that it was of high quality. 

Jihyo read the report and laughed even harder when she looked at the plate of tuna sashimi. 

  
  



	17. [REDACTED: THE TOWER] BRIEFING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arc 2 begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what up guys! i've found my muse again so i can finally post arc 2.  
> updates will be twice a week for this arc.

“Well, isn’t this peculiar.” Nayeon gave the occupants in the meeting room a wide grin. “It’s not often that the eight of us are gathered in one room.” 

“Come off it,” Jeongyeon slid in a comment. “It hasn’t been _that_ long.” 

“For us, maybe.” Momo interjects with a smile. 

Nayeon and Jeongyeon took their conversation into a silly bickering. Momo tunes them out, used to their antics by now. She works with the two agents regularly so this isn’t anything new for her. 

  
  


“Do you know them, Momo-chan?” The question comes from her right, and Momo turns her chair to see Sana. 

“Nayeon’s my mentor.” Momo points at said agent. Her finger slides to her counterpart, “And Jeongyeon’s my batchmate.” 

Sana makes a face of understanding. 

Momo turns to her. “And what about you — who’s your shadow?” 

Sana turns to where Momo’s gaze is directed at. Mina is seated quietly beside her, her posture calm and elegant as she turns to their sudden gaze. 

“This is Mina! She’s my junior.” Sana’s smile is a beam of light. “Mina, meet Momo. She’s been my partner on missions more often than I can count.” 

The two agents exchange a small bow of their heads. 

“Nice to meet you.” Momo points a thumb in the direction opposite them. “Since you’re introducing yours, I’ll introduce mine.” 

  
  


Momo points to the three agents clustered on the other side of the meeting room. “That’s Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu.” 

“Three!? You’ve taken three under your wing?” Sana’s eyes widen. “Wow, you must have been busy.” 

Momo chuckles, remembering the trio’s training. Exploding watermelons and their excessive use of grenades come to mind. “You have _no_ idea.” 

  
  


The opening of the conference room door catches everyone’s attention. Conversation quickly grinds to a halt when two agents step inside. 

Jihyo greets them all with a smile before taking a seat. 

The action makes the senior agents’ jaws drop and leaves the younger agents in confusion. 

“Jihyo!?” 

“What are you doing?” 

“I’ve been assigned to this mission.” Jihyo answers with a knowing smirk. 

The other Agent steps to the center of the room, grabbing everyone’s eyes. 

“That’s correct.” The tall, blonde woman says. 

Solar, a senior ranking agent — the information pops into everyone’s mind. 

She waves a hand and everyone takes a seat. 

  
  


Solar slides a couple of dossiers onto the table, signaling the beginning of the mission briefing. 

“You’ve all been assigned to this team for this particular mission. As your Handler, Agent Park is assigned as your team captain.” 

No one objects. It makes sense, Jihyo has worked with them all before. 

“This mission is particularly sensitive and is being prioritized above all else.” 

The sentence raises a few eyebrows. 

“ _All_ agents are being grouped and deployed into teams, similar to this one.” 

There is a sudden silence as everyone — save for Jihyo — goes into shock. The scale of an assignment like this has never been seen before. At least, not in a long time. 

The majority of the agents hold their breaths as Solar continues. 

“Your mission, Agents,” Solar can feel the tension, the anticipation that leaves the agents on the edge of their seats. 

“The purging of The Tower.” There are a few gasps following Solar’s words, it can’t be helped. 

  
  


The Tower is a rival spy agency. More often than not, they’ve been a healthy source of competition. 

The two spy agencies share contracts and intel on some occasions. 

There’s never been any sort of animosity. 

Until now, that is. 

  
  


Solar continues the briefing before anyone speaks up. She can see the objections rising in their body language. 

“The Tower has been found guilty of taking contracts for personal gain. They have broken the first code.” 

Solar meets the gaze of all agents present. “I know what you’re thinking — what about our allies within?” 

“Worry not,” Solar folds her hands behind her back. “Any known allied agents are to be offered an olive branch.” 

“The Council has determined that The Tower’s Head Director is guilty of all charges. He’s deceived all of his agents, giving them false orders and false explanations.” 

A dark look crossed Solar’s face when she revealed the last bit of information. 

“The Council of Agencies have elected us to carry out justice. All the other agencies have locked down the city and are in wait as our backup.” 

Solar slides a mugshot of The Tower’s Head Director across the table. The agents present glower at the photo with varying degrees of anger and disgust. 

“All teams are being briefed now. We have orders to leave within the hour.” Solar gives a final nod and starts for the door. “I’ll leave you to prep.” 

  
  


The door closes with a gentle hush. Everybody turns to face Jihyo, who stands up. 

“I think that’s enough talk.” There’s a dark undercurrent in her tone as her eyes stay on the photo. Jihyo doesn’t even bother to hide her contempt. 

“Let’s move out.” 

  
  



	18. [REDACTED: THE TOWER] ELIMINATION

The crunch of broken glass lingered in the air. 

Furniture was strewn all around the floor, a casualty from the first raids by the Agency. 

The majority of The Tower’s agents were detained. Those who resisted were subdued, non-lethally of course. The Council of Agencies still wanted to give them a chance to prove their loyalties or their innocence. The detained agents would be offered amnesty, amongst other offers. 

  
  
  


Momo thought that was pretty fair, all in all. They were only following orders after all — false orders at that. 

Broken glass crunched under her boots. She reloaded her gun with a magazine of non-lethal rubber bullets. They didn’t kill, but they still hurt like hell. Bruised hard too. 

She trailed after Jihyo, who was leading the team through the numerous floors of The Tower. 

The Head Director had holed himself up at the very top floor. And they were about three floors from it. 

What a coward, Momo scowled at the thought. 

  
  


The team went up a flight of stairs. Their synchronized stomping echoing through the stairwell. 

Another lounge area greeted them. Empty save for an agent sitting in a chair in the middle of the floor. A hand twirled the end of her ponytail as she waited for them. 

The agent was tall even while she was seated. Her frame was slim but the way she held herself gave off an air of confident lethality. 

Surprise flitted across the faces of some members of the team. Some more than others. 

“Lisa.” It was Momo who said her name. 

Lisa shot her a smirk. “Nice to see you again, hotshot.” And then she stood and raised her fists up. 

“You don’t have to do this.” Jihyo gave her a wary look. “We’re only here for the Head Director.” 

There was a brief pause as Lisa stilled. Then she shook her head with a sad smile. There was a flash of black and red at her collar. “I have my orders.” 

  
  


Momo narrowed her eyes at Lisa. She had history with the agent, and she couldn’t understand her sudden stubbornness. 

(Yeeah… that kind of  _ history _ . She  _ probably _ shouldn’t have gotten involved but she was goner after their first meeting.)

“Screw your orders! You’re fighting a losing battle.” Momo stepped forward. 

“Trust me. I have my reasons.” Lisa drew her fighting stance back up and that put everyone on edge once more. It was common knowledge that she was an exceptional martial arts fighter. 

Momo took a few more steps forward, standing near arm’s length. “C’mon! You don’t have to—” 

Lisa threw the first punch, a square hit at Momo’s face that knocked her head back. 

There was a stunned silence. The shoe dropped as they saw a once-ally-now-enemy punch Momo. Then the whole team trained their guns on her. 

Momo snarled, spit out a glob of blood onto the floor and holstered her pistol with a harsh hand. The punch had split her lip, leaving a sting of copper and iron on her tongue. 

“Go.” Momo growled as she locked eyes with Lisa. There was a fire brimming in both of their eyes. “She’s  _ mine _ .” 

Her words were not directed at Lisa, but at Jihyo instead. 

  
  


Jihyo made the first move and ran, the team following into step quickly. 

Lisa turned her stance, prepared to stop the group. But Momo was quick on her feet and charged at the agent. 

Lisa gasped as a shoulder met her gut, and then she was lifted up and slammed onto a table. 

The group escaped her view, climbing the flight of stairs. 

Her focus turned to Momo, who was already swinging her fist down. 

Lisa rolled off the table and into a crouch, immediately coiling into a launch to meet the other. 

  
  


The fight between the two skilled agents was drawn out. Each matched the other’s prowess and strength, turning it into a battle of endurance. 

Both were feeling the fatigue by now; blooming bruises and sweat lingered on their bodies. 

It was Momo who gained the upper hand in the end, with a swift combo that Lisa herself taught her years ago. 

Isn’t it ironic. Losing by the same technique she taught her. 

The two agents went down, with Momo on top of Lisa. With one hand, she pinned Lisa’s hands together above her head. And with the other hand, she grabbed the black and red device around Lisa’s throat. 

Lisa ceased her movements immediately, her whole body going unnaturally taut and rigid as soon as Momo touched the collar. 

  
  


The tension froze the both of them. Their gazes were locked together as they waited for the other to make a move. 

“When did you know?” Lisa asked quietly, her voice almost breaking into a quiver. 

“Since I saw you sitting in that chair.” Momo replied in a soft tone, her fingertips traced the skin underneath the collar. 

Lisa’s breath hitched. 

Momo studied the collar. There was a blinking red light in the center… and no visible way to get the device off. 

Momo slowly released her pinned hands but Lisa didn’t make a move. 

“Jihyo can get it off. She will.” That was all Momo said before they shifted into another silence. 

Neither party moved as they held each other’s gazes. One determined, and one wanting to desperately believe. 

* * *

  
  
  


Jihyo had a hunch, a dark feeling that churned in her gut as they climbed the stairs to the next floor. 

The suspicion turned into real horror as the team came face to face with two more of the Tower’s agents. The black and red at their throats, along with their resigned expressions did not sit well with Jihyo. 

_ Momo already knew _ , Jihyo’s mind supplied. Her jaw clenched. She had to do this quickly then. 

  
  


“Jisoo! Rose!” Nayeon exclaimed with surprise. “What are you still doing here?” 

Jihyo didn’t let anyone get a word in. She suddenly barked an order, “Nayeon, Tzuyu — with me! The rest of you — subdue them!” 

Jihyo rushed ahead to the next flight of stairs. 

Her team heard their captain’s orders and their bodies reacted accordingly. The team rushed at the two agents, engaging in the fight and doing their best ( _ hoping _ ) for a non-lethal conclusion. 

  
  


The sounds of fighting and struggling stayed at Jihyo’s back as she ran forward. 

The flight of stairs led to a pair of oversized double doors. She heard Nayeon scoff at the excessive display. 

Jihyo calmly opened a door with one hand, the other held her pistol tightly in a vice grip. 

The Head Director of The Tower sat at his desk, hands cradled and folded together. He was calm despite all the chaos surrounding him, surrounding the building. 

There was another agent beside his desk. Her hands were at her side, one hand held a gun. She wore a standard black kevlar body suit, a few modifications were visible — evidence of her high skill and rank. 

The agent’s cat-like eyes regarded the intruders with sad familiarity. 

“Jennie!” Nayeon hissed under her breath. Her eyes went to the collar around her neck. 

Jennie flashed her a weak, sad smile but didn’t move otherwise. 

  
  


“So it’s come to this.” The Head Director spoke. “After everything I’ve done. After everything I’ve done  _ for _ them.” 

Jihyo grit her teeth at his voice. Her gun flew up, the sights trained on him. Nayeon and Tzuyu mirrored the movement. 

Nayeon’s eyes flickered back and forth between the man and Jennie. Tzuyu’s eyes stayed on the Head Director like a hawk, she was ready to pull the trigger as soon as Jihyo said the word. 

“The Council of Agencies have denounced you. You are no longer the Head Director of The Tower, for it is being dissolved and a bounty has been placed on your head.  _ Dead or alive _ .” Jihyo spit out her words with blazing hot satisfaction. 

It felt good to see his face fall into stony anger. 

“You think you’ve won!” The man’s temple throbbed with an angry vein. His face started to flush red from his rage. “You think you’ve—” 

“Yes, I do.” Jihyo didn’t let him finish. 

She pulled her trigger, several times in fact. 

The former Head Director screamed hysterically as he lost his hand instantly. The disembodied hand dropped to the floor with a wet plop. Along with a remote. 

Nayeon and Tzuyu took their shot immediately after. Bullets riddled the man’s body until he resembled swiss cheese. The amount of force behind the gunshots threw him backwards, and the glass windows shattered as he fell out of the Tower. 

  
  


Jihyo calmly walked over to the desk. She holstered her gun and picked up the fallen remote. With a press of a button, there was a clicking snap. 

Jennie fell to her knees as the collar dropped from her neck to the floor. The metal thud echoed, the red blinking of the device dimmed. Tears of relief gathered at the corners of her eyes. 

“An explosive collar. How cruel.” Jihyo murmured under her breath. 

Nayeon rushed to Jennie’s side, helping the trembling girl up. 

“He was gonna — at any second!” The Agent sobbed at the realization. 

“Hush, Jennie. You don’t have to say anything right now.” 

Tzuyu stepped in as Jennie’s legs gave out. She picked the girl up, hand hovering around her waist as she stabilized after a moment. 

  
  


Jihyo stepped closer to the edge of the window and peered down. 

The ground was swarming with teams and agents of different agencies. Waiting for her word. 

She began the contact. 

“Ground Team, this is Agent Park. All agents were subdued with non-lethal force and detained. Target neutralized, awaiting confirmation.” 

There was a pause across all communication channels. 

Then a reply.  _ “Roger that Agent Park, this is Ground Team Commander Jung Wheein speaking. I’m not sure what you expected when the man’s riddled with bullets and then fell out of a building 50 stories high. We all saw it happen. But he’s dead, if that’s what you wanted to hear. That’s for sure.” _

  
  


It was more for their sake that they heard it, Jihyo thought as her eyes locked with Jennie. Jihyo knew that her team’s communicators were loud enough for the former Tower agents to hear as well. 

She thinks she made the right choice, if the shining relief in Jennie’s eyes was anything to go by. 

  
  


Behind her, Tzuyu tried but failed to stifle her laughter at the commander’s sarcasm. 

Jihyo grinned victoriously. “Affirmative. My team is en route to the rendezvous point. We have four former Tower agents with us.” 

She could see movement on the ground. The agencies were starting to retreat now that the objective was complete. 

_ “We have space. Come home.”  _

  
  



	19. [REDACTED: THE TOWER] DEBRIEFING

Jihyo sighed as she slumped down in her chair. 

Her Kevlar chest piece dug against the chair frame. She didn’t even have time to strip off her firearms and armor when they returned to the Agency. The Agency’s Board of Directors had wanted a debrief as fast as possible. 

She rubbed her palms against her eyes, wincing at the sting. The amount of paperwork and red tape was exhausting. 

There was so much to clean up, so much work to be done just to undo the damage that The Tower had inflicted. Not only to the world but to its own agents. 

  
  
  


The now  _ former _ Tower agents. 

Jihyo felt another sigh leave her. 

That was a whole other headache of its own. 

The Council of Agencies came through with their promise. The former Tower agents would be transferred and reinstated as agents once more, only after a probationary period took place. 

Right now, recruitment offers were at an all time high demand. The Tower has —  _ had _ some of the best active field agents. The agencies were probably throwing around ridiculous offers to one up the other, like some kind of heated sports bid for players. 

  
  


Footsteps approached her. Jihyo opened her eyes and blinked. 

Solar was in front of her, offering a hot cup of coffee in her outstretched hand. 

“Thanks.” Jihyo took it with a grateful smile. 

“It’s going to be a  _ long _ day.” Solar replied. 

They had taken down The Tower in the darkness of night. Wrangling all of the displaced agents took longer than necessary amidst all of the panic and confusion. 

Jihyo took a glance at the clock on the wall and groaned at the time.  _ 3 AM.  _

“Tell me about it.” She started taking large gulps from her cup. 

Jihyo shuddered suddenly; she could already imagine the mountain of paperwork waiting on her desk. 

* * *

  
  
  


The clock struck 9 AM as Jihyo walked into the lobby of the Ninth Floor. 

Everybody was busier than usual following yesterday’s large scale operation. The Agency was teeming with agents; some new and some old, but all familiar faces. 

Jihyo settled at her Handler’s desk. The mountain of paperwork earlier was cleared, thanks to the help of Agent Solar.  _ Bless that woman _ , Jihyo thought. 

The only thing on her desk was a thick file. 

Naturally, Jihyo opened it with a curious touch. 

Four headshots and profiles greeted her eyes. Along with a note in familiar handwriting:  _ Four new additions to the Ninth Floor’s roster, as per your request.  _

Jihyo smiled wide. Her day was starting off great. 


	20. [REDACTED: RECUPERATION]

A hiss escaped Momo’s mouth as her split lip brought a new wave of stinging pain. 

Once the team debriefing was over, she had returned to her room. 

The Agency gave each of its operatives their own private room, which was pretty nice, if you thought about all the other services available within the building. 

(Not to mention the Olympic-size swimming pool or the in-door cinema.) 

  
  


Momo sat on her bed, a small medical kit laid open beside her. 

She hissed once again as her lip throbbed painfully. Damn, Lisa sure knew how to throw a punch. 

Her face jerked back when she brought the alcoholic disinfecting wipe to the cut. 

  
  


She wasn’t allowed to think about the pain as her door opened a moment after, interrupting her thought process. 

Lisa’s wiry frame waltzed into her room. She wore tight-fitting cargo pants and a skin tight crop top that most agents donned under their kevlar body armor. 

She swiveled her head, inspecting the room, before focusing her gaze on Momo. 

“So, this is your place.” There was a hint of amusement laced in her tone. 

“What are you doing here?” Momo blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected the agent to come to her. Wasn’t she rooming with her team members? 

She didn’t get an answer. 

  
  


Lisa’s eyes narrowed on the other agent’s wounded lip. She crossed the room in a short series of long strides and plopped herself onto the other woman’s lap. 

Momo spluttered in confusion, the tips of her ears tinting a rosy pink as the agent straddled her lap effortlessly. But her hands came to rest on Lisa’s hips instead, not making any move to push her off. 

Lisa swiped the disinfecting wipe from Momo’s hands and began cleaning the split lip herself. 

She cared for the wound with the utmost attention, unconsciously leaning her head in and reducing the proximity between her and Momo. 

Momo went stiff at first, but eventually relaxed under Lisa’s careful touches. 

  
  


When she was done, Lisa pushed the first aid kit closed and to the side. 

Turning back to the woman under her, Lisa placed her palm on Momo’s sternum and gently pushed down until her back met the mattress. 

Momo didn’t attempt to move; her hands remained resting on Lisa’s hips as they locked gazes once more. 

After sharing that long moment, Lisa lowered herself. She threw her arms around Momo’s neck, snuggled closer and tangled their legs together. 

“‘m tired.” Lisa said as she buried her face into the crook of Momo’s neck. 

  
  


Momo felt rather than heard the mumble that slipped out from Lisa. 

She threw an arm securely around Lisa’s waist, her other hand softly stroked the girl’s back. A look at the clock on her nightstand read 4 AM. 

It had been near midnight when they first stormed the Tower. How long did the agents have to endure the former Head Director’s torture before they arrived? 

Hours? Days? When was the last time she saw the agent out in the field? 

Momo frowned at the distressing thoughts swirling around in her head. 

  
  


The tension slowly seeping out of Lisa’s body drew Momo out of her thoughts. 

“Then sleep.” Momo softly murmured against Lisa’s temple. 

She tucked the girl closer against her body and wrapped them up with her comforter, shielding the both of them from the outside world. 

  
  



	21. [REDACTED: JUNGLE FEVER]

The sound of swinging metal, followed by ripping flora, tore through the air. 

Nayeon blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. She raised the machete in her hand high, coming down swiftly to clear the thick, dense leaves and trees obstructing their path. 

“Why. Are. We. In. A. Jungle!” Every word was punctuated with a swift, agitated slash. 

“We’re spies — not treasure hunters!” A disgruntled noise was followed by another machete swing. 

  
  


There was a sound of laughter behind her, along with a similar sound of swinging metal. 

Nayeon turned her head to see Jisoo following her path. 

Like Nayeon, the agent donned an armored bodysuit composed of spandex and kevlar material. Unlike the usual full span suits, theirs were altered for the harsh jungle climate that their current mission took them to. 

Shorts and sleeveless tops replaced the usual fittings. The combat boots remained. The newest addition for their mission were the dual pistols holstered at the side of their waist. 

And the machetes. 

Nayeon took another swing at the thick leaf branch trying to poke her eyes out. 

These things sure were neat! 

  
  


“C’mon, it’s not  _ that _ bad.” A cheshire grin graced Jisoo’s lips. “Besides, don’t you know all the villains hide their secret bases in the jungles? It’s  _ all  _ the rage these days.” 

“Oh, c’mon!” Nayeon scoffed with another wide swing. “That’s just a cliche!” 

Nayeon cut down another thick cluster of jungle leaves, and the sight they revealed made her words die in her throat. 

A big, shiny secret base! Hidden in the jungle just like Jisoo said. 

_ “Oh, come on!” _ Jisoo laughed at Nayeon’s shout of disbelief. 

  
  


The base looked like a getaway vacation resort. Tall, modern architecture against the background of wild, vibrant green jungle. 

Armed patrols could be seen from their vantage point. The guards followed along the perimeter of the base. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Jisoo grabbed her dual pistols from her chest holster. 

  
  


Their mission was a simple ‘Seek and Destroy’. They had received intel about an arms smuggler hiding out in this country’s dense jungle. 

Nayeon was selected for the mission, and Jisoo tagged along since the agent was her handler for her probation period. 

( _ “It’ll be like raising a junior all over again.” _ Nayeon excitedly squealed when the decision was made.) 

  
  


“Watch my back.” Nayeon angrily stalked forward with a machete in one hand and her pistol in the other. 

Jisoo could hear her angry muttering as she trailed right behind her. 

“Stupid bad guys, hiding in their nice, air-conditioned houses in the middle of this stupid, hot jungle. I’ll make you  _ regret  _ this stupid idea in the first place.” 

Gunfire and panic erupted. The chaos was further fueled by the sound of angry machete slashes and the painful screams of the arms smugglers. 

  
  



	22. [REDACTED: JUNGLE FEVER] DEBRIEFING

Jihyo didn’t have to look up from the files she was reviewing to know that Nayeon and Jisoo had returned from their mission. 

The sharp smell of humid jungle flora and hot gunpowder stung the air as soon as the elevator doors opened. 

A grin tugged at her lips as the sight of Nayeon and Jisoo, disheveled and only  _ slightly  _ bloody, greeted her eyes. 

  
  
  


“That’s not your blood, is it?” Jihyo eyed the few smatterings of red in a wary manner. 

“No.” Nayeon snorted, the roll of her eyes exaggerated. “That hasn’t happened since Cairo.” 

Beside her, Jisoo muffled a giggle. 

“ _ Cairo _ .” Jisoo gasped in glee. “I remember that mission. It was a  _ bloodbath. _ ” 

Nayeon groaned as both Jisoo and Jihyo dissolved into a fit of laughter. 

“ _ Ugh _ — I thought we agreed to leave it in the past!” 

Nayeon shoves her mission report onto Jihyo’s desk — along with an excessively lavish, gold-plated paperweight taken from the secret jungle base — before fleeing towards the agency’s locker room. 


	23. BP INTERLUDE 01: JISOO

Jisoo stared at the directory board on the Ninth Floor. Her gaze swept up and down and all around, eyes wide in curious awe as she took notice of all the different types of facilities available. 

_Gun range, Archery field, Laser Tag Arena, Shark Tank!_

The agent was so entranced in her examination that she didn’t notice two pairs of arms swinging on her shoulders until it happened. 

  
  
  


Jisoo let out a small squeak as Nayeon and Yeri suddenly appeared beside her. 

“Whatcha doing?” Yeri’s curious voice piqued in. 

“Oh, I was just,” Jisoo pointed at the directory map, “Getting to know the Agency.” 

Nayeon and Yeri exchanged a look and Jisoo didn’t know if she should be worried or not at the devilish glint in their eyes. 

“This directory won’t help you. You know what you need?” Nayeon had paused, putting them all in suspense. 

“A tour! Let’s go!” 

Jisoo yelped as Nayeon and Yeri linked arms with her and dragged her along. The two made colorful commentary as they passed several rooms and agents. 

  
  
  


_This isn’t so bad. Better than the Tower, actually._

Jisoo thought as the agents stopped at the Agency’s Olympic-sized swimming pool, trying to talk over the other as they observed a few agents engaged in a diving contest. 

_I think I’ll like it here._

  
  



	24. [REDACTED: TREASURE HUNT]

The air was cool as night settled in the city. 

The city’s shops and houses lit up the darkness, replacing the light of the sun. 

Fewer people were out now that it was late. Better for them. 

  
  


_ There won’t be anybody to see us up here _ , Chaeyoung thought as she clambered silently up to the building’s rooftop. 

She paused in a crouch, eyes darting around to see if anybody was up here. 

All clear. 

  
  


There was a silent thud as another pair of feet landed next to her. 

Chaeyoung looked over to see Rosé — her partner for tonight’s mission. 

  
  


Chaeyoung nodded in a direction as the two stood up, “C’mon, the drop sign’s over here.” 

She led them over to the corner of the rooftop, where she slid her hand over the brick wall, looking for a loose brick. 

“Aha!” Chaeyoung uncovered the small hole in the wall, where a small note laid inside. 

“North.” Rosé read the note as Chaeyoung replaced the brick in the hole. 

“On to the next one then.” Chaeyoung nodded towards the edge of the roof. 

  
  


The two agents broke into a run before leaping off the roof. They landed onto a nearby building, rolling to break the impact of their fall. 

The two took off again, heading north like the note said. 

The urban setting of the city allowed buildings to cluster together, making for a pathway well above the ground and away from curious eyes. 

Chaeyoung felt a grin form on her lips as she ran through the rooftops, dodging pipes and rooftop laundry lines. 

In her peripheral, she saw Rosé keeping up with her. Her grin grew as they ran in tandem, anticipating each other’s movements. 

  
  


“It’s just up ahead!” Chaeyoung said as they neared the north end of the rooftops. 

The agents slowed to a stop as they reached the last building. A stretch of train tracks greeted them ahead, marking the end of this path. 

Chaeyoung turned around, “The drop’s here. Let’s look for the sign.” 

  
  


It was Rosé who found the sign, hidden amongst a cluster of rooftop exhaust fans. The sign — a diamond with a circle inside — was carved into one of the metal structures. 

The fan was turned off so they were able to see the note hidden inside the fan’s blades. 

_ “The Elixir of Life, hidden inside a hollow tower.” _

Rosé read the note out loud before turning to her partner, eyebrows raised. “Any clue what that means?” 

Chaeyoung pursed her lips in thought. She was turning the city’s layout in her mind, seeing if any landmarks matched the note. 

For a second, the quiet city noises settled between them. 

“Oh!” Chaeyoung spoke up, “The water tower!” 

She points to the tower they had passed by in their run. The two turn to see it now, the moon shining down on the dome top of the tower. 

  
  


The two agents backtracked to the tower, vaulting over more rooftop pipes and leaping across the small gaps that were the alleys between the buildings. 

Chaeyoung was the first to climb up the water tower. Rosé stayed on the roof for a second, watching their backs, before climbing up. 

“I know this tower. We use some of them as drop points or storage units.” Chaeyoung said as she looked for the drop sign. 

Once she spotted it above the hatch, confirming that it was one of theirs, she reached for the door handle. 

  
  
  


The metal creaked as they entered the tower. 

What was once suppose to be full of water, was now a small space filled with various crates and supply bags and dry food rations. 

There was only one desk inside, with a few items scattered on its surface. 

Chaeyoung reached for one of the items, a book, and showed the title cover to Rosé. 

“ _ The Elixir of Life _ .” Rosé chuckled after she read the book’s title. “Funny.” 

Chaeyoung opened the book, revealing the inside as a hollow cut out. A couple of data drives replaced the pages. 

Their mission objective. 

“Bingo!” She stashed the drives on her body, before looking back up at Rosé. “Let’s get these back to the safehouse.” 

Rosé nodded, then her lips gave way to a smirk. “Ready for another rooftop run?” 

  
  



	25. [REDACTED: TREASURE HUNT] DEBRIEFING

It’s a late night at the Agency. 

Jihyo is settled at her desk on the Ninth Floor, as usual. A fresh cup of coffee and a bag of food sits near her elbow. Momo dropped it off earlier, before she retired to her quarters. (Jihyo watched, with quiet mirth, as Lisa silently trailed after her.) 

The lobby is quiet — save for the sound of rain clashing with the window panels and the occasional flashing rumble of thunder. 

  
  


It’s not a surprise when the elevator makes a sound, signaling the arrival of an agent. The Agency has mission parameters that involve varying locations and time frames. 

Jihyo is used to receiving and sending agents off at odd times. 

What the Ninth Floor’s Handler  _ isn’t _ used to is the sight of her agents  _ wobbling _ into the lobby. 

  
  


Jihyo watches — in equal parts amusement and concern — as Chaeyoung and Rosé hobble their way to her desk. 

They are drenched from the thunderstorm outside, and their wet clothes are making a nice trail of water on the tiled floor. 

Jihyo briefly wonders if their janitor is still here. 

The agents look like they’ve been run ragged. Jihyo’s curious as to what exactly happened to the two. If she recalled correctly, they were only assigned to a ‘grab-and-drop’ mission. 

  
  


Jihyo lets the two agents catch their breath before she starts questioning them. In the meantime, she scans them for any injuries. 

There's no injuries visible. So what could have happened? 

“Are you two alright?” Jihyo finally breaks the silence. The two agents lean half against each other and half against her desk as they catch their breath. 

Before she starts speaking, Chaeyoung slides a file from the inside of her shirt and places it onto the desk. The files are dry, to Jihyo’s surprise. 

“I… I think I have a concussion.” Chaeyoung says once she puts the files down. 

Jihyo’s mouth drops open undignified. Now she’s  _ really  _ curious. 

  
  
  


Rosé takes Jihyo’s stunned silence as a prompt for an explanation. 

“Well… we dropped off the intel at the safe house.” The agent twiddled her fingers together. “And then we were racing back to the Agency via rooftop.” 

Jihyo and Chaeyoung nodded along. Because  _ of course _ , that’s how all agents travel at night — via rooftop. 

“And then we got caught in the middle of this thunderstorm.” As if on cue, a flash of lightning struck the air. 

“One of the rooftops had this spinny-rooster thing—“ 

“A weather vane.” Chaeyoung helpfully supplied from her slumped position against the desk. 

“—Yes! That.” Rosé brightened up, then deflated as she explained the next part. “Lightning struck the one right next us, and I… was startled and might have…” 

Rosé squeezed her eyes shut and spit out rapid fire, “ _ Ipushedherintoawall _ .” 

Jihyo blinked. Did this girl just rap at her? “Sorry, what was that…?” 

A defeated look graced the agent’s face, the tips of her ears flushed red from embarrassment. Rosé sighed before repeating herself slowly, “I got scared by the thunder and jumped… and managed to push Chaeyoung face first into a rooftop brick wall with my flailing limbs.” 

  
  


There was a deafening silence between the Handler and her two agents. 

Jihyo struggled to maintain her composure. She was internally dying inside from laughter, but she couldn’t do that; Rosé looked like she wanted to dig herself a hole and hide in it forever, and Jihyo wasn’t sure if Chaeyoung was still conscious. 

The corners of her lips twitched — the only indication of her faltering. 

The Handler poked Chaeyoung, earning a groan and a poor attempt of a slap. Yup, still conscious. 

  
  
  


“Don’t worry about it, Rosé.” Jihyo began opening their mission report. “Did I ever tell you about the time Jeongyeon destroyed an entire fish market on a simple retrieval mission?” 

Jihyo’s eyes twinkled with glee as she managed to pull a bark of laughter from Chaeyoung and a gasp of surprise from Rosé. 

“We had to have a team of agents slip in and restore the place before anyone noticed. Have you ever had to watch a team of agents cart loads of wild salmon and tuna like they were contraband?” Jihyo laughed at the memory. 

“Why don’t you take her to the infirmary.” Jihyo nodded at Chaeyoung’s still slumped form. “Good work, agents.” 

With an amused smile, Jihyo watched as the two agents wobble their way towards the Infirmary. 


	26. BP Interlude 02: ROSÉ

“Annnd, there we go.” 

The infirmary nurse cut the strip of bandage and firmly tied it. 

Chaeyoung’s hand went up to gently touch the cloth. 

“Fortunately, it’s just a minor bump. No concussion or anything.” 

Rosé was sitting beside her. The agent let out a deep sigh of relief at the news. She looked up when she felt a squeeze on her hand. Chaeyoung grinned at her, her eyes saying  _ ‘I told you so’ _ . 

The nurse wrapped up the checkup and both agents stood up to leave. As they walked out the infirmary, they could hear the nurse call after them with a teasing chastisement, “No more running on rooftops for you two for a while!” 

Chaeyoung burst into giggles. Rosé’s face was painted with a blush and a sheepish smile. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“And  _ that’s _ how I destroyed that fish market.” Jeongyeon smirked, reveling in her feat of destruction. 

“Those poor, poor men.” Momo sat beside her at the table, sipping on a drink. Her tone was clearly sarcastic, the smirk on her face giving her away. 

“Hey! They started it when one of them slammed me into a fish tank!” 

“Did you really use the tuna fish as a weapon?” Rosé asked with starry eyes. 

“Those poor fishies.” Momo said after Jeongyeon nodded. 

“Eh, collateral damage.” 

“Damn, I could go for sushi right about now.” 

Chaeyoung burst into laughter, leaning into Rosé’s side as Jeongyeon launched into a retelling of one of her previous missions. 


	27. [REDACTED: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you guys think of Jennie/Tzuyu?

Heavy snow fluttered in the air. 

Jennie watched as gravity pulled the snowflakes to the ground. 

She shivered just a little and pulled her cloak closer, resuming her watch. 

A glance to her right gave her an unhindered view of her partner. 

  
  
  


Tzuyu was the picture perfect definition of frozen as she laid prone, sniper rifle in her arms and focused on the view the scope provided. 

This was their first mission together. Jennie couldn’t help but notice that the silence between them was stiff, yet oddly comfortable. 

She let her eyes trace the agent’s face, down her neck and to her toned arms. 

There was a sudden crackle in her ear. Their communicators came to life, snapping Jennie out of her starring. Why was she starring? 

“ _ Target approaching. Take your shot whenever available.” _

She turned back to the building stretched out in front of them. 

“Copy that.” A short affirmation came from Tzuyu. 

  
  


Just then, another cold breeze hit the rooftop. Jennie couldn’t hide her full-body shudder this time. 

There was movement beside her, making the agent turn her attention. 

Tzuyu repositioned herself into a crouch. Then she turned her head and made full eye contact with Jennie. 

Jennie froze, not expecting… whatever this was. It was startling, electrifying, and it made her pulse quicken. 

“Are you cold?” Tzuyu asked softly. 

_ Just a little _ , she wanted to say,  _ We’re camped out in the middle of a snow flurry _ . 

The thought of her image came to mind. She was a professional spy — she should act like one. 

But the way the sniper was looking at her made her falter. 

“Not at all.” She ended up saying. “I’m used to it.” 

A soft hum was all she got in response. 

  
  


Tzuyu turned back to her scope and the tension bled out of Jennie’s shoulders. 

_ What was that? _ Jennie asked herself internally. That entire interaction left her bewildered.  _ I’m used to it?! Why did I say that?? _

Why did she falter? Are her ears blushing? Well, at least she could blame the cold for that. 

  
  


It was quiet again until Jennie broke the silence. 

“I should say thanks.” Jennie started with. 

Tzuyu turned her head to look at her with a raised eyebrow. The gesture spoke for her. 

“For before… back at the Tower.” Jennie sucked in a breath at the reminder. 

Tzuyu stared at her for a beat longer before softly replying, “You’re welcome.” 

  
  


The two returned to their post, watching their mark with silence accompanying them. 

Just when Jennie thought there were no more surprises from her partner, Tzuyu turned back to her again. 

Jennie froze once more. 

“Let’s get out of here.” The sniper said as her gaze remained fixed on Jennie. 

Jennie was stumped.  _ Huh??? Get out of—? But the mission isn’t—  _

Before Jennie could respond (or even think of a response), Tzuyu pulled the trigger — with their eyes still locked together. 

The silencer on the sniper muffled most of the shot. But both agents could clearly hear their communicators spring to life immediately after, “ _ Target eliminated. Good work, agents. Extraction is a go.” _

Jennie’s mouth went dry. It took her all her years of espionage training and experience to keep her jaw from dropping. 

Tzuyu’s heated gaze kept her paralyzed for a moment more, before the sniper turned away and started quickly disassembling her rifle. 

Jennie had to blink herself out of her stupor, before doing the same to what little equipment they had set up. 

  
  


Her partner was a  _ very _ capable agent; in her opinion, it was both impressive  _ and _ attractive. 

Nobody ever looked her in the eye and took out a mark simultaneously before. 

_ God, that was kinda hot. _

Jennie’s cheeks burned and her hands fumbled just a little. She didn’t feel so cold anymore.


	28. [REDACTED: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE] DEBRIEFING

Jihyo raised her head when she heard the elevator ding, followed by the rhythmic sound of shoes clicking in an easy strut. 

A small smile lifted the corner of Jihyo’s lips when she saw Jennie and Tzuyu coming her way. 

“Hey, how was the mission?” 

“You know — the usual.” There was a smirk that accompanied Tzuyu’s answer. 

Jihyo raised a curious eyebrow. She wondered why Tzuyu was suddenly so playful. She glanced over to Jennie for an explanation, only to see a light blush coloring her cheeks and the tips of her ears. 

The sight gave her pause. 

Jihyo recalled that their latest assignment sent the agents to the northernmost region. It was a lot colder there. 

_ Surely it wasn’t that cold, was it? _

  
  
  


Jennie cleared her throat, refusing to look at either of them. “I’m gonna — there’s ice in my shoes. I’m gonna go change.” 

The agent scurried off faster than Jihyo had seen her done before. And this is Jennie we’re talking about — one of their fastest and most agile agents! 

Jihyo observed Tzuyu watching the agent go with what she recognized as mirth and fondness in her eyes. 

_ Huh. That’s new.  _

“I’ll be going.” Amusement colored Tzuyu’s tone as she placed their mission report on the Handler’s desk. 

Jihyo nodded and watched as the agent left. 

“Well, that was interesting.” Jihyo murmured as she began flipping open the report. “New power couple?” 

  
  



	29. BP INTERLUDE 03: JENNIE

_ Okay, Jennie. Breathe!  _

Jennie took a deep breath to settle her nerves. She opened her eyes to see the targets in front of her. 

_ You’re a professional — Jennie Kim. So quit acting like a little schoolgirl with a crush and get your shit together!  _

Jennie adjusted the sniper rifle in her arms and took aim, eyes laser focused on the waiting targets of the Agency’s shooting range. 

_ Bang!  _

_ Bang!  _

Jennie exhaled, bringing the rifle down. 

“8/10. Not bad.” 

The agent could pick up the footsteps coming up behind her. 

She didn’t move a muscle, seeing as she recognized the voice. 

Tzuyu stepped beside her, a smirk on her lips and a challenge written in her eyes. 

Jennie could see the challenge clear as day. She wasn’t a coward; she lifted an eyebrow up in response. 

The smirk on Tzuyu’s face grew. 

_ Uh-oh… what have you gotten yourself into now Jennie. _

  
  
  


“I think you can do better.” Was all Tzuyu said before she slid behind the agent. 

Her front molded flush against Jennie’s back. Her warm hands settled over the agent’s, pulling the rifle back up. Jennie’s breathing stuttered from the close — almost  _ intimate _ — proximity. 

“ _ Don’t you? _ ” Tzuyu leaned in closer, her lips barely kissing her ear. 

Tzuyu’s low tone sent shivers down Jennie’s spine. She shifted slightly, unconsciously pressing closer to the agent. 

Jennie was flustered, everything was almost too much for her to process. She could feel the heat crawling up her neck and face. The agent hoped her blushing wasn’t too obvious. 

Then Tzuyu lifted the gun, their hands guided the rifle together. Bullets fired from the rifle, hitting the targets precisely. 

10/10. 

Jennie could practically  _ feel  _ Tzuyu’s smirk against the shell of her ear. Her heart hammered and her cheeks burned, but she didn’t move to pull away. 

Tzuyu stayed right where she was, content with holding the agent in her arms. It was fun to see Jennie squirm and blush because of her. 

  
  
  


There were two observers standing outside the Agency’s shooting range. 

“ _ See! _ See what I mean!” Jihyo excitedly whispered to the other. “Tzuyu’s so bold!” 

“ _ Oh my god! _ ” Jisoo grinned and pressed herself closer to the window. “It’s the Agency’s newest power couple!” 

The two agents giggled and squealed over the two inside, who were blissfully unaware of their audience. 


	30. [REDACTED: SHIPYARD SHADOWS > SAHARA GETAWAY]

It was a late night. There was nobody on the streets. 

Yet the shipyard was crawling with baddies. 

Lisa scanned the shipyard from her vantage point atop the stack of freight containers. 

At least half were packing heat, and she could spot at least one sniper. The others — she couldn’t see if they were armed or not. 

“Come in, Charlie. I’m at the vantage point.” 

  
  
  


There was a crackle in her earpiece before the other side responded, “ _ Roger, Foxtrot. 18 Tangos on site — take them down at your discretion.”  _

Agent Jeongyeon was on the other side of the line. She was hidden in an alley a few blocks away, waiting in the surveillance van. 

She was able to tap into the shipyard’s security system, giving her access to the cameras and automatic cranes, which made her Lisa’s lookout and backup. 

  
  


Lisa grinned and cracked her knuckles. “Copy that.” 

The Agent stuck to the shadows, using the height and width of the freight containers to her advantage. She crept around the shipyard like a nimble and undetectable cat. 

Jeongyeon gave her the locations and Lisa took down the thugs with silent, deadly precision. 

  
  


A few acrobatic flips here and there and many deadly choke holds later, she was down to the last enemy. 

_ “Last one’s on the catwalk. Take him out and then meet me at the Extraction Point.”  _

“No problem.” 

Lisa snuck up on the guy, striking him with a high kick in the back. A satisfied smirk graced her features as he crumpled to the ground. 

“On my way to extraction.” She took off just a moment later, expertly weaving her way out of the shipyard like a shadow. 

  
  
  



	31. [REDACTED: SHIPYARD SHADOWS > SAHARA GETAWAY] RESCUE OP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when extraction goes sideways for our two agents, another department of the Agency gets involved. introducing the Agency’s Demolition & Containment division: DREAMCATCHER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SA-HA-RA RA-RA-RA

The afternoon air sung along with the desert heat. The sun cast down its rays, keeping the day hot and bright. 

Desert winds howled before settling down. 

Just as things were quieting down, the rumbling of metal and shouting pierced the calm of the Sahara Desert. 

  
  


An unmarked Jeep crashed through the top of the sand dunes, clearing anything in its way as it surged forward. 

Several vehicles chased it in pursuit; armed men were aboard and firing at the truck in front of them. 

“Down!” Jeongyeon shouted as she hunkered down in the Jeep’s driver seat. 

Lisa ducked and leaned her torso down, before springing half her body out of the truck’s open top. The Agent returned fire with her heavy automatic rifle. A smirk settled on her face when her spray of bullets punctured a vehicle’s tires, causing the car to swerve and crash into a sand dune. 

The Agent ducked back into the car as a hail of bullets assaulted the Jeep’s rooftop. 

“I’ll keep them off our backs. Just get in contact with Extraction!” Lisa reloaded her rifle before leaning her body out again. Gunshots rang out as both parties exchanged torrents of bullet fire. 

  
  


Jeongyeon gritted her teeth as she turned the wheel hard, swerving around the desert dunes in an effort to throw off their pursuers. 

“Handler! Come in, Handler!” Jeongyeon shouted into their comms amidst the blaring firefight. 

There was static in their ears, then crackling feedback before a clear channel opened up. 

_ “Agents! We hear you — what’s the situation.” _

“Oh, thank  _ fuck _ .” Jeongyeon sighed in relief as the connection came through. “We need a bird ASAP! Extraction went a little sideways and we’re currently being chased in the desert!” 

Bullets rained down, hitting metal and flinging sparks. Too close for comfort. Jeongyeon made another hard turn at the wheel. 

_ “Copy that.” _ There was a sound of hurried shuffling in the background.  _ “Hang tight — Extraction is on the way!” _

  
  


Lisa ducked back into the car. Jeongyeon tossed her another magazine for her rifle. 

“Extraction’s on the way. We just have to hold out until then.” 

“Sounds fun.” Lisa huffed before slamming the magazine into her gun and reloading. “How long until — “ 

A deafening boom shook the earth behind them. 

  
  


Jeongyeon lost control of the car for a moment before stabilizing. The Jeep came to a screeching halt as both Agents looked behind them. 

All of the remaining vehicles chasing them were burning wrecks. Flaming hunks of metal laid still, a twisted mess of blackened steel amongst the beige sand dunes. 

  
  


Above them were two helicopters — Black Hawks to be exact. The blades and rotators of the aircrafts kicked up the wind and sand. 

The Agents’ comms opened up to another channel as voices reached them. 

_ “WHOOO!! Did you see that!”  _

_ “Unnie  _ —  _ we’re right next to you. Of course we saw it!” _

Another voice chimed in after, this one more authoritative in its tone but still holding some mirth in their words. 

_ “Sua, stand down. All Tangos are down… so put away your grenade launcher.” _

  
  


“Holy shit! They sent in the DC team!?” Jeongyeon said as she and Lisa stumbled out of the truck. 

“Is that a good thing?!?” Lisa gulped as she took in the carnage. No survivors. Their enemies were completely  _ decimated _ . 

“Hell yeah! They’re on our side!” Jeongyeon waved a hand in the air before flashing the helicopters a series of hand signs — the Agency’s standard code for Extraction verification. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Aboard the helicopter, the team leader looked down at the Agents. She waited until the correct code was flashed before replying. Once the code was confirmed, Commander Jiu put a hand on her headset. 

“Handler; we’ve located Agents Yoo and Manabon. Initiating Extraction; we’ll be en route to HQ soon.” 

_ “Copy that, Commander Kim. I’ll be expecting you soon.”  _

“Yoohyeon, take her down steady. Gahyeon, Sua — be on the lookout.” Jiu barked out her orders. 

Agent Yoohyeon nodded from the cockpit before lowering the helicopter in a slow descent. Agents Gahyeon and Sua were armed with heavy assault rifles as they guarded both open sides of the aircraft. 

Jiu looked at the other Black Hawk. “Dami, circle around the area — I don’t want any surprises.” 

_ “Aye aye, Commander.” _ The pilot of the other helicopter responded before slowly maneuvering into position. 

“Siyeon, Handong — get the machine gun ready.” 

_ “The machine gun? Holy shit, you’re giving us permission?!”  _

_ “Quick! Load it up before she takes it back!”  _

Jiu laughed as she heard the telltale sound of an ammunition belt being fed into the mounted machine gun. 

“Like I said, I don’t want any surprises.”

As they landed, Jiu signaled two fingers in front of her. Agents Sua and Gahyeon leapt forward at her command. Their firearms were up as they secured the landing zone. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Agents Jeongyeon and Lisa approached the tactical squad with relief. The mission was a success but it had taken an unexpected turn in the end. Seeing the Agency’s Demolition and Control team was a good sight for their sore eyes. 

“Commander! Good to see you again.” Jeongyeon said after everyone boarded the helicopter. 

“Likewise. Let’s get you guys home.” Jiu nodded at Yoohyeon. 

Yoohyeon took them up and they were in the air once again. She spoke into her headset as she pressed a few buttons and flipped a couple of switches. “Dami, I’m going ahead. Keep an eye on our Six.” 

_ “Nothing like a machine gun guarding your back!” _

“Easy there, tiger. Don’t want a repeat of last time.” 

_ “That didn’t count! There was a tank that time!” _

  
  
  


Gahyeon approached the two agents. She had switched her rifle out for a med-kit. She kneeled in front of them, “Can I take a look at your wounds?” 

Jeongyeon shook her head. “I’m fine. Somehow, I don’t have a scratch on me.” 

Gahyeon flashed her a quick grin before looking at the other Agent. 

Lisa’s eyes quickly flickered to the Red Cross band on Gahyeon's arm, then she nodded her consent. 

Gahyeon smiled before settling the med-kit down and getting to work. She quickly took in the Agent, assessing the worst of the damage to be bullet grazes and a few cuts to the skin. The medic silently sighed in relief. Nothing too traumatic; quick and easy to deal with. 

“So,” Gahyeon said as she applied some anti-septic to Lisa’s wounds. The Agent hissed before relaxing so the medic could bandage her. “How did you guys end up like this? Last I heard, it was suppose to be a simple hit-and-run mission.” 

Jeongyeon and Lisa shared a sheepish smile. 

“Well… you see… heh heh…” 

“We kinda… blew up their base on our way out.” 

“ _ What!?” _

  
  



	32. BP INTERLUDE 04: LISA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last chapter for arc 2 :)   
> i’ll be back with arc 3 after i finish editing the chapters!

Momo paced up and down the main hallway of the Agency’s medical wing. 

Her pace was quick and her turns even quicker. Frustration and anxiousness painted her features. 

Medical staff scurried through the halls going about their tasks. They were quick to get out of the way of the pacing Agent. 

Momo was biting her lip with worry, her arms crossed over the other as she paced furiously. 

  
  
  


The  _ click clack _ of approaching footsteps echoed through the medical wing. 

Handler Jihyo traced her agent’s movements briefly before making a move. 

“Easy, easy now.” Jihyo grabbed the lapel of Momo’s suit jacket and hauled her to a waiting bench. 

Her reflexes kicked in and Momo grabbed the offending limb in a tight grip, not realizing who it was just yet. 

“Down, girl. Heel. It’s just me.” Jihyo calmly waited until Momo let go of her wrist. “Breathe, Momo. That’s it.” 

Momo slumped into her seat. “Sorry…” She mumbled after putting her face in her hands. 

“Take it easy. Stop pacing up and down the hallway and let the staff do their jobs.” Jihyo sat down next to her, legs crossed as she looked at the room still occupied by one of the Agency’s doctors. 

“She’ll be fine.” 

Jihyo could see Momo’s head bob in the corner of her eye. 

The two agents sat in silence, waiting. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“Alright, everything seems to be in working condition.” The Agency’s doctor was finishing up her check-up. 

Lisa sighed in relief, her hand went to gently touch the bandages scattered on her arms and legs. 

“Just minor wounds, like medic Gahyeon stated before.” The doctor jotted down some notes on their clipboard. “I  _ am _ going to put you on two days of R&R though. The bullets might not have penetrated through but with the damage you took, infection can still set in. Better safe than sorry.” 

Lisa nodded. “Got it, doc. Thanks.” 

“I’m going to prescribe you some antibiotics. Take it easy, agent.” The doctor opened the door, “Oh! And there are some people here to see you.” 

Lisa raised her head, perking up at the mention of visitors. 

  
  
  


Handler Jihyo entered the room as the doctor left. 

Lisa unintentionally flinched. 

_ Goddamn White Tower fear-instilled conditioning! Stop it, I’m not there anymore! _

“Lisa.” 

The agent sat up straighter, placed a stoic expression on her face, and waited for her reprimand. 

Instead, she got a warm and concerned gaze from her Handler. 

“How’re you feeling? DC’s medic briefed me already, saying you suffered minor wounds from the mission. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

For a second, Lisa didn’t know how to respond. This was a new experience for her. Normally, the White Tower would lay into her if she botched a mission. Not fun times, man. 

This was… new. 

It was nice, actually. 

Lisa cleared her throat and blinked away the pricking sensation behind her eyes before it could kick in. She just realized that she kinda left her boss waiting. 

“I’m doing fine, thanks for asking.” 

Jihyo looked over her bandages once more before nodding, satisfied with her response. “The doc informed me about your recommended R&R. I’ll see to it that you get your rest.” 

Jihyo turned to leave, waving as she exited through the door. “Your missions will resume after. Get some rest for now.” 

  
  
  


Another figure entered just as Jihyo left. This time, they closed the door behind them. 

Lisa looked up to see Momo, wide eyes boring into her own. 

There was a beat of silence as the two looked at each other. 

“Hey.” 

“Hi.” 

Momo’s eyes raked over her body, checking for injuries and such. Her eyes narrowed when they reached the bandages. She came closer, sinking down onto the bed. 

Lisa sighed and scooted closer until their knees knocked together. Her presence was comforting and Lisa snuggled up against her like a satisfied cat. 

“You ok? When I heard they sent the DC team in, I assumed the worst.” The words spilled out of Momo’s mouth in a hurry. She placed an arm around the agent’s shoulders, the other hand hovering hesitantly over Lisa’s side. 

“I’m fine. Feeling great.” Lisa mumbled into the hollow of the agent’s throat. Her fingers started playing with the fabric of Momo’s shirt absentmindedly. 

“Okay.” Momo said nothing else. She could sense that Lisa didn’t want this kind of hovering treatment, especially so soon after the mission. 

Momo started talking again, but changed the subject this time. “You were with  _ Jeongyeon _ of all people. She’s a horrible driver! How did you survive  _ that _ ?!” 

Lisa relaxed against her, even more so when Momo began exaggerating their friend’s driving skills. 

“And — “ 

Lisa cut her off by abruptly pushing her down onto the bed. With one hand on her chest holding her still, Lisa shot Momo a dark gaze. 

Momo gulped. This seemed to be a recurring theme — Lisa pushing her down onto a flat surface. (She really didn’t mind though.) 

Lisa laid down on top of her, tangling their legs together before settling still. 

“ _ Shush. _ ” Lisa spoke softly, lips brushing against Momo’s collarbone. “Doc said I get two days of R&R. So hold me and let me nap.” 

Momo froze for a second, caught off guard by this unexpected — but not unwelcome — outcome. She chuckled before wrapping Lisa up in her arms. “Yes, ma’am.” 

  
  



	33. Letters with a Red Mare 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> arc 3 is here! :) 
> 
> ok so here’s how arc 3 is gonna be set up: I’m introducing some new things that haven’t been done in arcs 1 and 2. 
> 
> 1) Letters to a Red Mare chapters are basically a letter + mission reports detailing some of the missions the agents are on. 
> 
> 2 R&R chapters are rest + recovery days for our agents. you can see how they spend their off days at the Agency. these chapters usually show scenes that will refer or relate to the missions that are described in Letters to a Red Mare. these chapters are similar to the Debriefing chapters in the previous arcs. 
> 
> 3) different girl groups are featured in this arc. some are written and some are mentioned only. RV and Twice members will mostly be the main here. there are some cameos of Dreamcatcher later on (like towards the end of the arc), and LOONA members are only mentioned in the Letters chapters. 
> 
> 4) the Letters chapters are really short so I will be posting the R&R chapters typically on the same day. if I’m busy then I’ll try updating on the next immediate day.

_ Handler,  _

_ Two parties of interest. Both spending money in the midst of a crisis. Suspicious, is it not?  _

_ One — a more renowned politician. Two — a Duke of a minor house.  _

_ The choice to pursue is yours, as always.  _

  
  


_ Watermelon _

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ Watermelon,  _

_ Intel received. Mission assigned to Rabbit and Cat. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


_ P.S. Are you guys still using fruits as your call names? I think of watermelons whenever your face comes to mind. My agents look at me like I’m crazy whenever I open up one of your letters. It’s not my fault I bust a lung every time I see the word watermelon!  _

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ The Politician has been trying to butter his bread on both sides during this crisis. Word has been spread, and his efforts have bore little fruit. Various parties of significant influence are keeping their eyes on him.  _

  
  


_ We’ve infiltrated the Duke’s estate. Found several incriminating evidence. Hollow busts and statues filled to the brim with drugs. Agency has been notified and backup has been sent — the estate has been seized by Wolf, Swan, Betta, and Deer.  _

_ Saw at least three neighboring houses peeking through their windows in shock as we monitored the team from the shadows. I imagine the Duke is no longer to be Duke.  _

  
  


_ Rabbit & Cat  _

  
  


_ P.S. The Duke had a nice collection of herbal teas. I don’t think he’ll be missing it that much. I’ve dropped some off on your desk.  _

_ \- Cat _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you guys tell who the agents are? ;)


	34. R&R: Dahyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one of my headcanons for Irene/Dahyun is that they call each other Hyun since they both have it in their names lol

Dahyun yawned as she exited her private quarters. 

It was her day off, so she was dressed leisurely; in a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, a far cry from her usual black suit and tie, or her standard kevlar body suit. 

The door slid close upon her exit, and a subtle lock clicked behind her. 

  
  
  


Dahyun made her way through the Ninth Floor, exiting the Agents’ living quarters. 

She greeted Jihyo at her desk before entering the elevator. 

There, she pressed the button for the Fifth Floor. 

The agent whistled along with the elevator tune as she descended a few floors. 

  
  


The elevator let out a ding as she reached her destination. 

The doors opened to an office setting similar to the Ninth Floor. The only difference was that the Fifth Floor’s residential capacity was half of theirs. 

_ Well, the team for the Fifth Floor  _ is  _ smaller after all, _ Dahyun reminded herself as she walked through the halls. Several agents greeted her, already familiar with her presence here. 

Dahyun passed by several rooms full of computers and data servers. If this was the Ninth Floor, they would be the lounge areas for the agents. 

Opposite of the Ninth Floor’s large roster of field operatives, the Fifth Floor’s purpose was for more  _ discreet  _ operations. 

_ Intel gathering _ , Jihyo had mentioned once. 

  
  


Dahyun made her way further in until she reached a set of larger offices. 

A lounge area was situated between the offices. There, someone called the agent’s attention. 

“Dahyun!” She turned her head to see a lean frame resting against a plush seat. 

“Seulgi unnie!” Dahyun greeted the cheerful agent, exchanging an eyesmile with the older woman. 

“Are you here for Joohyun?” Dahyun nodded at Seulgi’s question. “She’s been immersing herself in the latest assignments —  _ again _ .” 

“You know how she is; a damn workaholic.” Dahyun chuckled at Seulgi’s exasperated eye roll. “Well, I won’t stop you. If anything, you’ll be able to get her to take a break.” 

“I have to go now — got a lunch date with Wan. See you later!” Dahyun waved as Seulgi departed. 

  
  


She turned around and resumed her path to the larger offices. She stopped in front of the door — with the shiny plaque that read  _ Head Operative _ — with an air of familiarity and knocked twice before entering. 

A generic office space greeted her sight, with a desk swamped with papers. 

But Dahyun’s eyes were drawn to the woman sitting behind the desk. 

  
  


Irene’s face peered up from the report she was reading, glaring eyes looking at the person who would dare intrude into her office. 

The glare dissipated and a bright smile appeared on Irene’s face once she recognized who her intruder was. 

“Dahyun!” 

Dahyun smiled as she took in the spectacles adorning Irene’s face.  _ Cute _ . 

She stepped around the desk until she was at Irene’s side. 

“Hyun.” Dahyun affectionately murmured the woman’s name as she bent down, pressing her lips to Irene’s cheek, leaving a gentle trail until she reached soft lips. 

Irene hummed into the kiss. She settled the report down on her desk, her other hand reaching up to cup Dahyun’s jaw, keeping them together for just a moment longer. 

  
  


“What are you doing here?” Irene asked once they parted. 

“It’s my day off.” Dahyun replied. She looked down at the desk, catching sight of forwarded mission reports and intel reports. “And Seulgi was telling me you were drowning yourself in paperwork again.” 

“Ugh, that woman!” Irene huffed. “I wouldn’t have to if she and Seungwan didn’t ditch me for another one of their lunch dates!” 

Dahyun laughed at the pout that formed at the end of her girlfriend’s sentence. 

  
  


Dahyun leaned against the desk, her body facing her girlfriend. The agent’s eyes wandered over to the report Irene was reading. 

Pictures of hollow busts with drugs inside them caught her attention. She saw the familiar scrawl of Jihyo’s signature at the bottom of the page too. 

“What’s that?” 

“Hmm? Oh, my latest assignment.” Irene said, “We caught a nobleman smuggling in some drugs.” 

Dahyun did a double take at one of the pictures. 

“Man, that bust is  _ hideous _ ! I bet Chaeyoung could make a better one.” Dahyun commented on the photo. Irene giggled before agreeing with the statement. Seulgi could probably sculpt a better statue in her sleep. 

  
  


“C’mon, you need to take a break.” Dahyun said as she took Irene’s hand, playing with her fingers. 

Irene’s eyes flitted between her girlfriend’s smile and the pile of paperwork on her desk. It was easy for her to decide. 

“Screw it — I’ll make Joy and Yeri cover for me. They owe me for last time anyway.” 

Irene stood up and filed away the reports into their respective dossiers. 

Then she grabbed Dahyun’s hand, leading them out of her office. 

  
  


Dahyun’s brain recognized the path they were taking through the Fifth Floor. They were heading to the Agents’ living quarters. 

“We’re going to your room?” She asked as her girlfriend led the way. 

“Yes. I need my cuddles.” Irene turned to her with a pout. “I haven’t seen you in two weeks.” 

Dahyun lightly squeezed their intertwined hands, “Sorry — my last mission took me all the way to Singapore.” 

“I know.” Irene said with a smirk. She’s the main operative for the Agency’s Intelligence Division after all. “And you’re going to be making those two weeks up, starting now.” 

  
  



	35. Letters to a Red Mare 02

_Handler,_

_Since the Duke has been seized, the Province has fallen into a not-so-subtle civil war over the matter of succession._

_We could leave them be in their petty squabbles and scandalous affairs, but the outcome might not play out in our favor. The choice is yours, as always._

  
  
  


_Three members of the minor house are at the center:_

_C — capable but not overly invested in overseeing the Province personally._

_M — young and the least interested of the three._

_G — cunning and ambitions. Could pose as a potential threat._

  
  


_Watermelon_

  
  


_P.S. Not my problem they see you as weird. Since the Luna Project called dibs on the animal call names, the Agency decided fruits would be ours. Go figure._

_P.P.S. Did they finally decide on an official name for the Luna Project? Been too busy these last few weeks to find out._

  
  


* * *

  
  


_Watermelon,_

_Intel received. Mission assigned to Betta, Swan, and Dove. Will update._

  
  


_Handler_

  
  


_P.S. Yes, they finally decided about a week ago; Luna Project is officially dubbed as ‘Shadows of the Moon’. Quite fitting for our Stealth Division. It’s just a_ little _cheesy, don’t you think?_

* * *

A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_Handler,_

_We’ve been shadowing the members of the minor house. You would not_ believe _the petty insults they’ve hurled at each other. Swan almost broke her knuckle trying to muffle her laughter with her fist._

_Here are our observations of the three possible candidates:_

_C views the position of successor as a trophy. Would not recommend._

_M is young and has potential, but her inexperience could lead to potential disaster._

_G is experienced and knows how to prioritize the needs of the Province over his own. The only problem is his firm methods. We could curb that._

_Awaiting orders._

_Betta, Swan, Dove_

  
  


_P.S. Swan is getting restless; the look in her eyes tells me she wants to hit something or somebody, at any second now. Betta’s having the time of her life messing with all these nobles. These two are driving me insane — please send orders quickly._

_\- Dove_

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Another mission report follows the earlier forwarded correspondence. 

  
  


_Handler,_

_As ordered, we’ve begun the move to install G as the successor._

_C’s lax view on the position has not done well for her. Many influential parties that are involved and waiting for the result have turned against her. She has little allies now, save for the ones still bonded by blood and marriages._

_M has overplayed her hand. Too much information was given out. She has respectfully bowed out of the race._

_That leaves G. He knows that the result of his victory rested in our hands. We have his ear and the support of his house and the Province._

  
  


_Betta, Swan, Dove_   
  



	36. R&R: Dahyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dahyun goes to see her girlfriend at any chance she gets.

“And that’s all for the recon op.” Jihyo closed the dossier, concluding the briefing. 

The Handler looked up at the two agents. 

“Any questions?” 

She got a pair of cheeky grins from Dahyun and Chaeyoung in reply. 

Jihyo chuckled under her breath, “I’ll leave you guys to prepare. Good luck.” 

  
  
  


As the two were leaving, Jihyo called out. “Oh, Dahyun!” 

Dahyun turned around, only to see a blur come flying at her. She caught the object — a small box of herbal tea — by reflex. 

“Take that to the Fifth Floor, would you.” 

Jihyo smiled at the enthusiastic nod she got in response. 

  
  


Agents Dahyun and Chaeyoung paused as they neared the elevator of the Ninth Floor. 

“I still need to grab some equipment. I’ll meet you in Garage B!” Chaeyoung departed first with a comical salute, leaving Dahyun to enter the elevator by herself. 

Moments later, the elevator doors opened to the Fifth Floor. 

  
  


Dahyun made a beeline for the Head Operative’s office with a pep in her step. 

She tossed the box of herbal tea up and down in her hand, excitement from a chance to see her girlfriend. 

The Agent only paused when she saw Operatives Joy and Yeri squabbling in the lounge. 

Dahyun speed walked past the two, not wanting to get sucked into that mess, _especially_ when Yeri smacked Joy in the face with a throw pillow. 

She sped up as blood curdling screams erupted behind her. 

  
  


Dahyun knocked twice on the door before entering. 

Irene looked up in surprise at the intrusion, before it turned into a smile once she realized who it was. 

“Hyun!” Irene set her paperwork down as Dahyun approached. “What are you doing here?” 

Dahyun gently placed the herbal tea box on the desk. She kissed Irene’s cheek in greeting, then she started nuzzling her cheek. 

Irene giggled at the ticklish feeling, pushing the Agent away when it became too much. 

“Got assigned to a recon mission. Stakeout should take 2 or 3 days, at the most.” Dahyun answered. 

  
  


The Agent’s eyes roamed the papers on the desk, catching sight of ‘ _politician_ ’ and ‘ _Duke_ ’ repeated several times. 

“How’s that going?” Dahyun nodded towards the papers scattered on Irene’s desk. 

“Politics give me a headache; _corrupt_ politicians make me want to beat them with a pair of stilettos.” A sigh left the older Operative. “I should leave the politics and scheming to Seungwan next time.” 

Dahyun chuckled at the image. She was sure Irene had a spare pair of stilettos that she could weaponize. 

  
  


A beep came from Dahyun’s pocket, interrupting the two. 

“That’s probably Chaeyoung. She’s waiting on me.” 

“Chaeyoung?” Irene’s eyebrows raised upwards as she sighed. “Oh boy. Just make sure you don’t blow up another generator as you extract.” 

Dahyun gasped dramatically, putting a hand to her chest as she looked faux-affronted. “That was _one_ time!” 

She was met with a deadpan stare. “You alerted the whole enemy compound.” 

“Ye—“ 

“ _And_ destroyed their helipad, including the helicopter docked there.” 

Her girlfriend gave her no mercy, delivering blow after blow to make her point. 

“Ok, ok.” Dahyun raised her hands up in surrender. “We’ll be incognito… as best as we can be.” 

  
  


Irene stood up, entering Dahyun’s space. She drew her in for a chaste kiss. 

“Be _good_.” Irene said, bidding her goodbye. “Good luck tonight.” 

Dahyun gave her a goofy grin. “Good luck with the politics.” 

“ _Ugh_. You just _had_ to remind me.” 


	37. Letters with a Red Mare 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot for this mission is inspired by a series of mission in dragon age: inquisition

_ Handler,  _

_ Got some bad news. An informant — don’t worry; independent contractor, not one of ours — was incapacitated.  _

_ Need you to send agents to location. Recover whatever you can.  _

  
  


_ Pineapple  _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ Pineapple,  _

_ Intel received. Mission assigned to Wolf, Cat, and Penguin, our fastest agents. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare, along with a book and a dagger. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ We retrieved two objects of interest from the location: a dagger and a book.  _

_ Wolf found the knife in the informant’s back. Wolf doesn’t think it was a professional hit; the dagger’s pretty expensive looking, nothing like a disposable one that an assassin would use.  _

_ Don’t worry — I cleaned it before sending it back! Scanned for fingerprints but nothing popped up.  _

_ Cat found the book laying open in the room. The grammar errors caught my eye. Too many to be a mistake — it’s a cipher of some kind.  _

  
  


_ Penguin, Cat, Wolf  _

* * *

  
  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ The book has the most atrocious writing, it’s practically an insult to the entirety of literature. And the entire Red Mare division wants to set that book on fire and toss the ashes into the sea.  _

_ The ‘grammar mistakes’ your agent noticed is definitely a cipher. It’s double encrypted.  _

_ Give us a week at most to find the origin of the dagger and break the code.  _

  
  


_ Pineapple  _

  
  


_ P.S. I’m going to set that book on fire when this is all over. Zimzalabim!  _

_ \- Grape _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ Figured it out. Sending you the names and locations.  _

  
  


_ Grape  _

  
  


_ P.S. Pineapple is taking a mandatory rest. She had locked herself in a room with that horrendous book and the encrypted code. I shudder at the abysmal writing she had to read.  _

_ P.P.S. I’m watching the book as it burns right now. Zimzalabim!  _

* * *

  
  
  


_ Pineapple and Grape,  _

_ Assigned agents to apprehend them. Upon capture, one of them said, “And I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddling agents!”  _

_ Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


_ P.S. Took a peek at a copy of the book — you were right. Found out the author had another manuscript for the sequel. I had the agents burn it, douse it in acid, and throw the ashes into the sea.  _

  
  



	38. R&R: Nayeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> joyri chaotic duo is always fun to write

The elevator doors opened with a ding. Loud EDM music greeted her ears. 

That should have been the first sign that something was off. 

Nayeon entered the Fifth Floor with takeout bags in her hands. 

“Yeri! I brought lunch. Where do you—“ 

Nayeon stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the main lobby. 

  
  
  


Senior Operative Seulgi was knocked out on the couch, head laying in Senior Operative Wendy’s lap as she scrolled on her phone. 

Behind them were Operatives Joy and Yeri. 

A great, big fire was blazing in the middle of the room. In the center, Nayeon could make out hints of paper. 

_ A book…?  _

Yeri was chanting along to the song as Joy continued to dance and douse the bonfire with more gasoline. 

“ZIMZALABIM ZIM-ZIMZALABIM!” 

  
  


“Oh, Nayeon!” Wendy looked up from her phone as Nayeon approached cautiously. 

“You brought lunch!” 

“I... brought lunch…?” Nayeon hesitated as she took in the scene. 

“Care to join us?” 

Nayeon’s eyes widened. “Oh, I—“ 

“ZIMZALABIM ZIMZALABIM!” 

“Oh no, that’s ok! I think I hear Jihyo calling me four floors up — gotta go!” Sweatdrops rolled down her temple as Nayeon made a mad dash back to the elevator. 

  
  


Wendy blinked at how fast the Agent left. Then she felt a huff of air near her stomach. 

She looked down to see Seulgi laughing quietly. Her eyes slipped into crescents and Wendy just wanted to squish her girlfriend’s cheeks. 

“Wan, I don’t think you were clear on what you wanted her to join.” Seulgi said with clear amusement written on her face. 

Wendy tilted her head in confusion. “...lunch?” 

Seulgi chuckled right as the fire behind them blazed higher. “Or a satanic ritual.” 

“Ahh. Right.  _ That _ .” 

  
  


The bonfire and the chanting grew louder. The fire roared and then one of the office doors banged opened. 

Everything screeched to a halt as Irene appeared. 

Her eyes scanned the scene playing in front of her. “Yeri, Joy — I gave you permission to burn that book but NOT IN HERE!” 

“ZIMZALABIM!” 

  
  



	39. Letters to a Red Mare 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by another side quest from dragon age: inquisition

_Handler,_

_Whispers have reached our ears. Unfortunately, they are not like the tidbits of delightful gossip we shared last year at the annual agency party._

_Our agents claim there is a sickness spreading around one of the minor cities. The Minister in charge has claimed to be ‘doing all he can’. Our intel says otherwise._

_Requesting agents to investigate._

  
  


_Blue Orange_

* * *

  
  


_Blue Orange,_

_Intel received. Mission assigned to Owl, Butterfly, and Deer. Will update._

  
  


_Handler_

  
  


_P.S. It’s been a while since then. We should arrange to catch up properly._

_P.P.S. Your call sign still makes me burst into laughter._

* * *

  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_Handler,_

_The sights within the city are disturbing. The agents were right; there is a sickness spreading. There has been no sign of reason why until our third day of recon._

_A group of hooded mercenaries are poisoning the city’s water supply, with something like a red crystal powder. We’re going to find out who they work for._

_Sending back a sample we managed to swipe. Awaiting orders._

  
  


_Owl, Butterfly, Deer_

  
  


_P.S. Please hurry. The citizens are succumbing to sickness quickly. I fear the effects of the red powder are more adverse than they appear to be._

_\- Butterfly_

* * *

  
  
  


_Handler,_

_We’ve analyzed the sample in our lab._

_Bad news: it’s a highly potent drug concoction. Good news: it’s reversible._

_We’re working on a cure now. Will send antidotes as soon as possible._

  
  


_Blue Orange_

  
  


* * *

  
  


_Handler,_

_We’ve distributed the antidotes to the people as fast as we could._

_We also found out the identity of those who poisoned the water supply. You’re not gonna like this — it was the Minister himself. Claims it was a calculated plan to curb the population. Sick bastard._

_Word got out quickly; there was a city-wide rebellion. The former city Minister is in custody, along with all accomplices involved._

_Recovery is slow but steady._

  
  


_Owl, Butterfly, Deer_

  
  


_P.S. Just received the latest orders and the supplies the Agency sent over. I’m glad to be extending my mission’s stay. The city should be back on its feet soon._

_\- Owl_

_P.P.S. Thanks for the snacks!_

_\- Butterfly_

* * *

  
  


There is a smiley face and a drawing of a butterfly scribbled at the bottom of the last letter. 

Jihyo chuckles at the doodles. She places the letters with the dossier and files it away. 

Then she picks up another folder as the night drags on. 


	40. R&R: Seulgi

“So.” Irene began as she observed the current occupants of the Fifth Floor. 

“So.” Seulgi stood next to her, echoing her as bullets of sweat dripped from her temple. 

Irene’s eye twitched as a  _ small  _ boom rocked the lobby. 

“ _What_ _exactly_ happened while I was gone?” 

“Well… you see… heheh…” Seulgi pulled at her shirt collar nervously. 

Irene took a deep breathe to calm herself but then jumped as three of her operatives produced yet another chaotic mini-explosion indoors. 

“Wendy was researching an antidote for the mission she was assigned. Joy and Yeri started poking around and messed with the prototypes and… well.” Seulgi waved her hand at her three colleagues running around like crazy. The sight spoke for itself, really. 

Irene closed her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose. 

“So what you’re saying is… they’re  _ high  _ off of a non-functioning antidote?” 

Seulgi gulped at Irene’s murderous glare.  _ How  _ did she get herself dragged into this mess? It was her day off and she was just here to pick Wendy up for lunch. 

The burning glare from Irene made the Operative stammer out an answer. 

“...yes…?” 

_ That probably wasn’t the right thing to say, _ Seulgi thought as Irene stormed over to the three Operatives and grabbed them by the ears. 

Seulgi dove behind the couch as the yelling and the explosions escalated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor Seulgi lol she was just trying to go on a lunch date with Wan


	41. Letters to a Red Mare 05

_ Watermelon,  _

_ I have a request from an agent. Uncommon, but not rare.  _

_ Their former organization has a few… stragglers. With less than ideal plans. ‘Ignorant and short-sighted’, I believe my agent said.  _

_ Requesting intel.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


_ P.S. It never fails to make me laugh whenever I address the letter with ‘Watermelon’.  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ We will look into this, quietly and carefully. Wouldn’t want to tip them off.  _

  
  


_ Watermelon  _

  
  


_ P.S. Stuff it. I know Watermelon is my call sign, but at least my handle isn’t… Handler.  _

_ P.P.S. Wow. That was bad. Was that a dad joke?  _

_ \- Grape _

  
  


* * *

  
  


_ Watermelon,  _

_ Intel received. Mission assigned to Wolf, Bat, and Frog. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


_ P.S. I think that was a dad joke, Grape. Or a poor attempt at one.  _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ The stragglers have been wiped out. A little bloody, but no casualties on our end.  _

_ Thanks for this. Send my thanks to Red Mare too.  _

  
  


_ Wolf  _

  
  



	42. R&R: Irene & Yeri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> featuring Agent Son Hyejoo as the Watermelon Sensei, Junior Operative Kim Yeri as the chaotic agent, and Head Operative Bae Irene as the one who has to clean up Operative Yeri's mess on her day off lol

There was a gift basket. 

With  _ whole _ watermelons inside. 

Irene stared at the large basket in awe and disbelief, wondering how the large fruits fit inside. 

“So…” Yeri sipped on a juice box as she watched Irene stare at the enormous gift basket. “...you gonna eat it?” 

Irene sputtered. “All of that?!” 

Yeri gave her a deadpan look. “Yes. All five giant watermelons. I don’t expect anything less from my boss.” 

“Oh,  _ ha ha _ .” Irene gave the agent a shove when she caught onto her sarcastic tone. 

  
  


“Who’s it from?” Yeri slipped onto a couch’s armrest, swinging her dangling legs from her perch. 

Irene peered into the gift basket, looking between the shiny and perfect watermelons until she spotted a card. 

A cartoon wolf with a triangle mouth was on the card, along with the words of ‘ _ Thanks’.  _

Irene blinked and then showed the card to Yeri. 

“Oh, it’s from Agent Son. Wolf is her call sign.” 

“Ah.” Irene said as a thought popped into her head. “It’s probably for the last mission. Jihyo asked me for some intel on her behalf.” 

  
  


Irene yelped as Yeri suddenly lunged to grab a watermelon. 

“Hey!? What’s gotten into you?” 

“Haven’t you heard? Agent Son’s practically known as a watermelon sensei — somehow she always knows which watermelons are ripe and juicy!” 

“Yah, just don’t make a mess of them.” 

Yeri hastily cracked open a ripe watermelon on the kitchen counter, revealing its juicy contents. 

“YAH, I JUST SAID DON’T MAKE A MESS! IT'S MY DAY OFF!” 

  
  



	43. Letters with a Red Mare 06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> introducing dreamcatcher!

_ Handler,  _

_ Some of our agents have gone missing on a scouting assignment. All trails lead to an abandoned facility on the outskirts of the region.  _

_ All communication with our agents have been silent since they first ventured inside.  _

_ Requesting immediate action.  _

  
  


_ Kiwi  _

* * *

  
  
  


_ Kiwi,  _

_ Intel received. Mission assigned and agents Betta, Cat, Owl, and Swan have already departed by the time you get this. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ Cultists; it just had to be an extremist cult.  _

_ Our four-man team infiltrated the abandoned facility under the cover of darkness. What we found was extremely disturbing.  _

_ We found our agents chained and bound inside one of many holding cells, along with many other missing citizens. Signs of torture were noted on their bodies.  _

_ All cultists have been neutralized and the facility has been thoroughly swept.  _

_ Returning with the retrieved agents and the citizens.  _

  
  


_ Betta, Cat, Owl, Swan  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


The mission report and a request has been forwarded to the Agency’s basement. The plaque on the door read:  _ Dreamcatcher — Demolition and Containment Division _

  
  


_ DC,  _

_ Requesting site demolition of abandoned facility. Details contained within the mission report.  _

  
  


_ Ninth Floor Handler Park Jihyo & Red Mare Head Operative Bae Irene _

  
  



	44. DC 01: DEMOLITION

Dami tapped her foot to the beat of the elevator music. The LED display above her flashed, counting down as the elevator descended the Agency’s floors. 

The elevator doors opened with a pleasant ding, revealing a landing that split into two paths; one led to the garages and the other led to the Agency’s basement levels. 

Dami took the stairs that lead to the basement, following the shiny chrome hallways until she reached a big ornate door. 

Before she reached to open the door, the agent checked the mailbox that was hung next to a plaque. 

The golden plaque read: _Dreamcatcher — Demolition and Containment Division_

“Huh, a demolition request.” Dami skimmed through the files forwarded to the DC squad. 

The agent swung the ornate door open and waved the dossier in greeting, “Guys~ We have work!” 

A cacophony of shouting and laughter responded to Dami’s announcement. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Commander Jiu was silent as she assessed the abandoned facility in front of her. 

The DC team had trekked around the perimeter of the facility and found nothing. The Loona agents had been pretty thorough with their retrieval mission, leaving behind no survivors of the extremist cult. 

With one hand holding her assault rifle up, Jiu threw up her other hand as a fist. 

The squad behind her stopped in their tracks, only moving forward again when the Commander waved a go signal. 

Once they reached the entrance, Commander Jiu gave the order to stop. She tapped her coms and spoke, “Handong, give me a thermal reading. Any heat signatures?” 

_“Negative, Commander. Building’s all clear.”_ The sound of the helicopter blades on Handong’s side echoed through the team’s coms channel. 

  
  
  


Jiu exchanged a look with her Lieutenant, Sua, and gave her a nod. 

The Lieutenant gave her a shark grin in response. 

“Alright, ladies! Let’s light this place up!” Sua enthusiastically shouted as she signaled for the team to break formation. 

“I want satchel charges placed on every major structural support pillar ASAP! And only on the ones we highlighted in the debrief.” Sua gave out the order and the team scrambled. 

“Remember proper demolitions protocol!” Jiu couldn’t help but slide in a comment. “Our medic will put you through the ringer herself if you come back missing a limb~” 

_“YAH! I heard that!”_

The squad winced as Gahyeon’s booming voice came through the coms channel. 

Jiu chuckled before looking at another member of her squad. “Siyeon, how much longer.” 

Siyeon stepped up to the Commander’s side, her head was tucked down as her eyes were fixated on the tablet projecting the thermal feed linked to the helicopter’s camera. 

“Just a minute more. Last charge’s being hooked up… now.” 

“Good.” Jiu turned to look at Sua. “Give the order to exit the premise and rendezvous at the extraction point.” 

  
  


The three officers of the DC squad marched to the exit. Sua gave the order over the channel, “Rendezvous at Extraction Point Delta! I want all your butts out of the building when it goes sky high!” 

Siyeon snorted next to her. “Sua, you can’t say butts through the official team communications channel.” 

Sua looked at her seriously, her eyes bore into Siyeon’s as if saying ‘ _watch me_ ’. 

“ _Butts_ ~” Sua repeated mockingly, just as she detonated the abandoned facility. 

The explosion shook the earth and the DC squad witnessed the building crumble into a big pile of rubble. 

  
  


Sua’s high pitched laughing reached the sky, like the plumes of dust and smoke coming from the rubble pile. 

Jiu sighed as she shook her head. “No more butts on the official coms channel.” 

“Ha!” Siyeon shouted in victory. Then it turned to a yelp as Sua tried to put her in a headlock. 

“Handong, come get us before these two break a bone or something.” 

A chuckle echoed through their earpieces, _“Incoming, Commander.”_

Jiu looked up in relief as the sound of helicopter blades drowned out the squabbling sounds of Sua and Siyeon. 

  
  



	45. Letters with a Red Mare 07

_ Handler,  _

_ We have a lead; a follow up to that nobleman who was smuggling in drugs.  _

_ We believe a high-profile target has been colluding with many of the region’s power brokers. They may be the source of supply.  _

_ Our high-profile target has many allies and resources — which they can turn against us if we don’t tread carefully.  _

  
  


_ Blue Orange  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


_ Blue Orange,  _

_ Intel received. Mission assigned to Deer, Wolf, and Cat. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ We’ve been surveying the target’s residence and schedule. There was a brief time frame available in which we were able to infiltrate the target’s estate.  _

_ It took a bit of searching but we managed to find evidence of correspondence in the target’s study. The list of names contained within the letters include several high-profile individuals.  _

_ Returning back to HQ.  _

  
  


_ Deer, Wolf, Cat  _

  
  


_ The target was involved in an  _ unfortunate accident _ before we reached the extraction point. Just thought you’d like to know.  _

_ \- Wolf _

  
  


* * *

  
  


A hefty stack of dossiers appeared on Jihyo’s desk the next day. 

She was not surprised to find a set of assassination contracts within, and the names of high-profile targets on almost all of them. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AHEM cough cough* foreshadowing... *ahem* excuse me


	46. R&R: RV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little montage following the results of the last Letter

Irene stepped up to the board and picked a photo at random. 

It was one of the high-profile individuals linked to the drug-smuggling nobleman. The Red Mare team had spent a while collecting intel on these individuals. Now they were sorting them into assassination missions. 

The Fifth Floor’s idea of fun, apparently. 

  
  


“Ok, this is target #7.” Irene looked to her team. “Who’s taking this one?” 

“Let’s see!” Yeri said in glee as she spun the office’s spinning picker wheel. 

The wheel was colorful and lit up as it was spun. Slowly, it landed on the panel with the number 9. 

“Ah, Jihyo gets another one.” Wendy said from her seat on the couch. She typed the data into her laptop, compiling the target information into its respective assignment. “That’s the third target for them.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Next! Target #15.” Seulgi stepped up to the board. This time, the photo she picked depicted an older woman. 

Yeri spun the wheel again, this time landing on the number 4. 

“Ooh! The BP agents get this one.” Joy said as she placed the photo into a pile of targets marked for the Ninth Floor. “Still under Jihyo’s jurisdiction though.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“And this one?” Irene picked a photo, this one showed a well-dressed man. 

Yeri giggled as she spun the wheel again. 

“7!” Yeri announced the result. “The DC team gets target #27.” 

“Yikes,” Wendy said in the middle of her typing. “I feel bad for that guy. He’s never gonna see what’s coming with the Dreamcatcher team.” 

Seulgi laughed, “Tell me about it. Last time, we had to send in an additional containment unit  _ for _ our containment squad.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


The day continued on like that for the Fifth Floor. 

The sounds from the spinning wheel was interspersed with the Red Mare team’s chatting as they sorted through the targets and compiled intel for the upcoming mission dossiers. 

  
And the mission dossiers were stacking up. 


	47. Letters with a Red Mare 08

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more after this one and that’ll be it for arc 3!

_ Handler,  _

_ We have received reports of an individual stockpiling weapons and supplies. After shadowing said person for a few weeks, we have learned that he intends to supply an army. Or build one for himself.  _

_ This cannot happen; the region is still unstable from the recent geo-political conflicts and this would be adding fuel to the fire.  _

  
  


_ Grape  _

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ Grape,  _

  
  


_ Intel received. Mission assigned to Betta and Owl. Will update.  _

  
  


_ Handler  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


A mission report has been forwarded to Red Mare. 

  
  


_ Handler,  _

_ The region is still in an uneasy standstill. It was almost difficult to reach our target’s location due to the varying territorial borders.  _

_ The target has been neutralized and his supplies have been marked for retrieval. You may want to send the DC unit to seize the supplies. There’s way too much for just the two of us.  _

  
  


_ Betta and Owl  _

  
  


* * *

  
  


The mission report and a request has been forwarded to the Agency’s basement, marked for  _ Dreamcatcher — Demolition and Containment Division. _

  
  


_ DC,  _

_ Requesting a containment assignment. Details are within the report.  _

  
  


_ Ninth Floor Handler Park Jihyo & Red Mare Head Operative Bae Irene _

  
  



	48. DC 02: CONTAINMENT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter for arc 3!! 
> 
> I’ll be back with arc 4 after I’m done writing it. It might take a while bc arc 4 and 5 are connected thru the events that will transpire. i don’t exactly have a time estimate but please look forward to it!

Gahyeon hummed as she skipped down the Agency’s stairs, making her way to DC’s basement floor of operations. 

The agent stopped in front of their ‘mailbox’ and grinned when she pulled a thick folder out of the slot. 

She opened the basement door with gusto, entering while waving the dossier with excitement. 

“Yah, wake up guys! We got work.” 

“Welcome back, Gahyeonnie.” Siyeon peered out from the kitchen, paused in the middle of her snack searching. “What’s the request this time?” 

“It’s a containment request~” 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The revving of multiple engines rumbled through the air. A squad of motorbikes cut through the terrain, expertly weaving between rocky boulders and harsh gravel. 

Commander Jiu rode at the front of the squad. She tapped into the comms device built into her helmet, accessing the DC team channel. 

“This is Alpha squad, approaching the target point. Beta — what’s your ETA?” 

_ “This is Beta reporting in. _ ” Lieutenant Sua’s voice appeared.  _ “We are almost to the target point, approaching from the northern side.”  _

“Copy that.” Jiu swerved onto a dirt path and the team followed behind her. “Once we reach the target point, squads Alpha and Beta will secure the perimeter for Delta and Theta. No one else is to approach without permission — use of firearms is granted upon encounter with hostiles.” 

  
  


Jiu could see the makings of the target site in the distance. They were approaching a large countryside villa. 

The mission report stated that large numbers of military-grade weapons and supplies were staged on the estate grounds. DC’s current objective was to contain the site and recover all weapon caches they found. 

Jiu eyed the sprawling estate grounds.  _ Oh boy, _ she thought,  _ this mission might take a while. _

  
  


The Commander hit the brakes, her motorbike skidding to a stop at the entrance of the estate. She threw up a series of hand signs. In the next second, the Alpha squad split into two units, each unit covering the left and right of the villa. 

“This is Alpha squad leader. We have reached the target point, Alpha units are securing the southern perimeter now.” Jiu announced in the team comms channel as she shot a flare in the sky. The signal meant that they were in position. 

“Beta — what is your status?” 

Another red flare broke through the northern tree line and Sua’s reply was loud and clear in her ears. 

_ “Beta is in position! Northern perimeter secured!”  _

  
  


Jiu nodded to herself before hailing the rest of the DC team. 

“Phase two of the Containment plan is initiated. Send in Delta and Theta.” 

_ “Finally! What took you so long?”  _

_ “Yah! How about you step in as Beta next time. You’re in a comfortable car — stop complaining!” _

_ “Sure! I bet I could drive faster and better than you!”  _

_ “GAHHH — “ _

Jiu chuckled as she heard Yoohyeon and Sua’s conversation erupt into bickering. 

  
  


Hearing Yoohyeon meant that Delta was enroute. 

But what about Theta? 

“Dami, report in.” Jiu was curious; it wasn’t like her to take so long to chime in. 

_ “Ahh, sorry.”  _ There was a muffled, shuffling noise before Dami’s voice came through clearly. “ _ Siyeon switched to the wrong comms channel, thinking it was the radio station.”  _

“ _ Whoops, sorry.”  _ A sheepish laugh came from Siyeon. 

_ “Not to worry, we’re approaching the estate now.”  _

A few minutes later and Jiu could see Theta approaching. 

Delta and Theta were not like Alpha and Beta’s motorbike squad. No, they were large enforcer vehicles similar to swat trucks. And inside the enforcers were the rest of the DC team and all their equipment needed for the containment mission. 

  
  


As the enforcer vehicle approached and took the lead, Jiu signaled the Alpha units to trail behind. Alpha and Theta moved further into the estate grounds. 

“All units — move further in. Secure the site and begin phase three: neutralize and contain.” Jiu gave the order as she set her motorbike in park. 

The rest of the Theta team emerged from the enforcer, all agents donned kevlar body suits and various assault firearms. They stood in squad formation and waited for orders. 

  
  


Commander Jiu took a moment to scan their surroundings. Then she turned back to her team. 

“Phase three is in motion! Beta — I want you to scout the outer grounds. Look for any hidden caches or safe houses.” 

“Delta — start searching the residence. I’m sure the previous owners hid plenty within the walls and rooms. Use the demolition and excavation equipment if necessary.” 

“Theta — start setting up the cargo containers. Make sure proper protocols are being followed; we’re dealing with military grade weapons here, who knows what else we might find.” 

The entire DC team scrambled as the squads carried out their respective orders. Jiu stood still and watched as orderly chaos erupted. 

_ “Let’s get this show on the road, ladies!” _

Jiu shook her head fondly as Sua’s loud enthusiasm echoed through their channel. 

  
  


“Handong — what’s your status.” Jiu said as she tilted her head towards the sky. There was a red and white light blinking in circles above the estate. 

The sound of helicopter rotors echoed briefly in the background. 

_ “Black Hawk is in the air, along with Gahyeon’s small medic unit on board. We’re circling the estate. Nothing interesting so far other than the view up here — you all look so tiny.”  _

_ “I bet Sua looks microscopic.”  _

_ “Watch it, you tree! I got a stick of dynamite and I’m not afraid to shove — “  _

_ “EX-CU-SE ME!”  _ Gahyeon’s voice pierced through their bickering. 

Jiu sighed and rubbed her ears as she heard yelling and laughing carry through their comms channel. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! :)


End file.
